2017 Befuddlement by The Bruery Terreux

January 16, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Wild Ale, American Wild Rye Ale, anniversary ale, Befuddlement, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Boysenberries, Oak, Old Ale, Overwatch, Rye Ale, sour ale, Sucre, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, widow maker | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2017 Befuddlement by The Bruery Terreux is a 9.9% American Wild Rye Ale with Boysenberries aged in oak and bourbon barrels.

Label:
None.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Befuddlement is a Hoarders Society exclusive blend of our Sour In The Rye and our bourbon barrel aged old-ale, Sucré, with the addition of an incredible number of boysenberries. This deep purple beer is textured with sweet notes of caramelized malts, spicy rye, oak, juicy berries and a pleasantly sour funk. It’s a rather befuddling meld of flavors with an outcome that we couldn’t enjoy more.

==Introduction==

Released for Reserve and Hoarders societies only, this one was I never had chance to try. Based on the blending process it looks like they blended BBA Sucré with this one which is an awesome anniversary brew from a couple of years ago. It was the time when they started barrel aging in different spirits and have not stopped since. Special Barrel variants are awesome but the mix of that with other awesome beers creates something even more unique. Essentially, their mixed sour brews and Melangé series has been nothing but amazing. Each blend is unique while also some blends being more amazing than other blends. So let’s have a look at this one as it is a special sour blend with their anniversary. Cheers!

Aromas:
Cadbury Cream egg hints, marshmallows, graham crackers, brown sugar, banana hints, piloncillo sugar cone, dark cherry yogurt, dark fruit raisins, currants, dark cherries, blackberries, boysenberries, strawberries, wine grapes, raspberry preserves on toasted rye bread, leather, boysenberry cobbler, boysenberry muffins, port wine, dulce de leche caramel, waffle cone, candy sugar, chocolate truffle notes and crème brulee hints.

Flavors:
Dark fruit raisins, currants, dark cherries, blackberries, boysenberries, strawberries, wine grapes, vanilla, fruit cake, oak, Bourbon, chocolate, toffee, raspberry preserves on toasted rye bread, leather, boysenberry cobbler, boysenberry muffins, port wine, dulce de leche caramel, Cadbury Cream egg hints, marshmallows, graham crackers, brown sugar, banana hints, piloncillo sugar cone, dark cherry yogurt, waffle cone, candy sugar, chocolate truffle notes, crème brulee hints, raisin bread pudding, hibiscus, floral notes, toasted coconut hints and boysenberry cheese cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes semi dry with lots of boysenberry flavor, dark fruits, tart boysenberry skins, boysenberry yogurt, oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, chocolate hints and floral notes. No alcohol in the taste. Crimson and Rose colored full body, crisp, effervescent, smooth and refreshing mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
This exceptionally awesome brew can be best described as a tart boysenberry cobbler. There was a ton of berries and BBA Sucré to guarantee the flavors came out similar especially close to a tart boysenberry cordial. So I feel like I have been missing out especially after having this one. In fact, many special blended sours have been coming out really exceptional and hope they bring out more like this one. It was definitely worth the freebie from the Reserve allocation. I highly recommend this sour.

Anime Corner:
Widow Maker from Overwatch was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the colors of the label, beer color and ingredients of the beer which all seem to match with the deep purple, reds and blues of her. This and the fact that this is the first time I use her in a pairing for the Bruery, the timing seemed perfect really. In a way, since she is mixed with Sucré, she looks a lot like Mari Ilustrious which I used in that beer but without the glasses and blue skin.

Sources:
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/I4whOtX72NxfDypPSY0bZelyW5XrEPw527qD7LPEZAagzs4bPu0b8ynnllKv1Rh.jpeg?w=1600&v=2-IjikrDIjBKJJXtrL4Lt6CxaOLlMtyhGtSlX_3qbJQ%3D
http://file2.instiz.net/data/file2/2016/07/29/f/9/8/f98ef897a8b4a370dcdaa5fd0d7c08b5.jpg
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/6933583458898303643.jpg?w=1600&v=3AQIGa3dXAxVvk3ENQ9w1fAj0-PlXL548-kdzROxSCA%3D
http://pic.chinaz.com/2016/0614/1465870307917.png

2017 Rue D’Floyd collaboration between 3/Three Floyds, Dark Matter Coffee and The Bruery

January 16, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, beer collaboration, Black Lord, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter, cherries, Coffee Beans, Dark Lord, Dark Matter, FLCL, Floyd D'Rue, Haruko Haruhara, Imperial Porter, Naota Nandaba, Rue D'Floyd, The Bruery, Three Floyds, Unicorn Blood Coffee, vanilla beans | 1 Comment

Rating: 7/7

2017 Rue D’Floyd collaboration between 3/Three Floyds, Dark Matter Coffee and The Bruery is a 13.5% ABV Imperial Porter aged with Vanilla in Bourbon Barrels with Tart Cherries and Dark Matter Coffee.

Label:
DARK TUESDAY

This collaborative brew rises from the ashes in epic fashion, showcasing a heavy-handed display of barrel character, roastiness and dark fruit elements. It’s a testament to the spirit of continued experimentation

We regrouped with our friends at 3 Floyds to resurrect this imperial porter. Condemned to bourbon barrels for nearly a year, this one dark display of roasted malts, charred oak and blackened cherry character with notes of scorched baker’s chocolate. It’s pulled from the depths with sweet vanilla beans, tart cherries and Dark Matter Coffee, holding the palate prisoner and perpetuity.

==Introduction==

Released to Hoarders and Reserve Society alike, it has been years since the release of this beer. Since the issue they had with the quality of the initial release, they did not want to risk bad bottles back then which really turned people off from this beer. I remember when this first came out I got it to the site as soon as possible and the beer was great! It was so great I was upset I would not see it again. Thank the beer dark lords it is back. This beer is what I think many people really wanted from the longest time. A collaboration with Three Floyds of Indiana to use their Dark Lord making skills at creating a massive beer with the Black Tuesday lords at the The Bruery. They have come together once again to create this literal liquid chaos of sense engulfing darkness. Now all I have left to say is how it can compare to however my brain can remember from the original. The best part is that it will not go bad! So cheers and hope you can get one, I am recommending it right off the bat!

Aromas:
Rich Mocha Cherry Cordials, Roasted coffee, espresso, fancy coffee, Khalua Coffee Liqueur, kopi luwak coffee, Cherry Nutella, chocolate cherry cobbler, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Baker’s Chocolate, fudge chocolate, dark fruit raisins, currants, plums, prunes, toasted coconut, almond joy chocolate, cookies and cream, white chocolate, oatmeal, oak, bourbon, anise, tobacco, leather, cinnamon and port wine.

Flavors:
Super Rich Mocha Cherry Cordials, port wine, Raspberry Chambord, vanilla, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Baker’s Chocolate, peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, flan, cinnamon, crème brulee, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut, almond joy chocolate, cookies and cream, white chocolate, oatmeal, oak, bourbon, marshmallows, fudge chocolate, cherry chocolate cake, dark fruit raisins, currants, plums, prunes, molasses, anise, tobacco, leather, roasted coffee, espresso, kopi luwak coffee, Kahlua Coffee Liqueur, Bananas, hazelnut nectar, chocolate cherry cobbler, cherry nutella, Irish cream, Danish cream, pecan pie, Banana split chocolate cherry sundae and dulce de leche caramel.

Aftertaste:
Finishing rich mocha, dark chocolate, cherry cordial, bourbon, milk chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, pecan pie, banana split chocolate cherry sundae, oak, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream
No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, dark pitch black full body, smooth, creamy, chewy, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
I almost forgot how delicious this beer was that when I finally had again it all came back to me. This is indeed, is really a bucket lister. No joke. I had really forgotten why I loved this beer so much until I brought to the site once again. It was so influential, that I am actually making a stout to mimic the insanity of this collaboration. This beer is literally Liquid Cherry Mocha. Like the Life is Like brew I had years ago, this one continues and continues. With this fresher batch, I hope you are able to find this one but definitely hope that the Bruery keeps releasing this one. A must GET!

Anime Corner:
Haruko Haruhara and Naota Nandaba from FLCL (Fooley Cooley) were used in this pairing to show case the colors of the label, the flavors, the collaboration, the ticking time bomb aspect and just the insane aspect that this collaboration brings. Aside from the colors of the label. Haruko represent the cherries and the coffee as well as the very dangerous aspect of the beer. The smoothness of the beer can be seen in the cuteness of her demeanor but don’t ever let that fool you. This woman is demented and insane. Cute on the outside, monster on the inside. Naota Nandaba, is the admirer which you can think of him providing the extra flavors as being the main character of the series. Now the ticking time bomb has to do with the short temper that Haruko has and the short time that these 2 have together. I won’t spoil the story, but c’mon, it is such a great series…. for only being 6 episodes long!! There, you have no excuse not to watch FLCL… now just like I said before… Go get this beer, find the show and watch it! You will be in for a ride!

Sources:
https://ugc.kn3.net/i/origin/http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h476/santo969/501623.jpg?t=1298836348
http://wallpapersonthe.net/wallpapers/l/haruko_haruharu_flcl_anime_vespa_haruko-8042.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/60/aa/dc/60aadcb626bc6e0e3116c0ae5ef18dc7.png
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I2yHaMXsWRs/WBU65zSeaMI/AAAAAAAADfI/jGUBAKYYpUsA2JD6ShTPtr76MBfEpIS6QCJoC/w426-h400/16%2B-%2B1

2017 Mash & French Toast by The Bruery

January 16, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barleywine, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Cinnamon, Darkstalkers, Maple Syrup, MASH, Mash & French, nutmeg, Q-Bee, The Bruery, Vampire Savior, vanilla | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2017 Mash & French Toast by The Bruery is a 13.4% ABV Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels with Vanilla, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, Natural Flavors and Maple Syrup.

Label:
NO UTENSILS
We took Mash, drizzled it with more gooey barrel character and added a morning mix of spices and maple notes.

This is our bourbon barrel-aged barley wine ale, Mash, joining forces with even stickier malt-forward forces from our barrel warehouse to create the gooey-sweet profile you’d expect from a French toast-like creation. It rouses the senses with hints of caramel and rich maple character, summoning spices and warm vanilla notes.

==Introduction==

Released to the Reserve Society in 2017 with a possible release to the public. This is a new iteration for the Mash series. There have been many variations recently ranging from coffee, vanilla, coconut and now French Toast. The last time I can remember trying a French Toast like brew was when my friend Aaron Mendiola from BeerMetal.net sent me the “Brunch Money” by Armadillo Works in Texas. This one is quite unique as there aren’t many “French Toast” beers out there in general but based on the addition of ingredients in this beer, I can only tell that this is going to just like or close to French Toast as possible. Let’s take a look and see how this one is, cheers!

Aromas:
Cadbury Chocolate cream eggs, sweetened condensed milk, French Toast maple syrup, toffee, butterscotch, caramel, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, waffle cone, clove spice, bananas, dark fruit prunes, plums, cherry, rocky road ice cream, rum soaked raisins, toasted coconut, chocolate marshmallow smores, graham crackers, pecan pie, vanilla, oak, bourbon and flan hints.

Flavors:
Rich French Toast maple syrup, toffee, butterscotch, caramel, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, waffle cone, nutmeg, fruit cake, vanilla, oak, bourbon, rum soaked raisins, dark fruit prunes, plums, coffee cake, brown sugar, Danish cream, milk chocolate truffles, toasted coconut, marshmallow, chocolate smores, graham crackers, pecan pie, Cadbury Chocolate cream eggs, sweetened condensed milk, capirotada raisin bread pudding, rocky road ice cream hints, French vanilla, crème brulee, anise, molasses, macadamia nuts, hazelnut, flan, almonds, bananas and clove spice.

Aftertaste:
Finishes and long lingers with rich French toast, maple syrup, toasted coconut, oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, dark fruits and chocolate. Slight alcohol in the taste but not detracting from the flavors. Dark Crimson honey medium body, smooth, creamy, chewy and syrupy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Ridiculous! This is damn exceptional! A bit boozy but will sure as hell age like a beast. Even now, I could tell, this is literally, freaking French Toast in liquid form. Granted, time will mellow out the slight alcohol from the flavor but to be honest it does not bother nor detract from the amazing flavors this already has. Yes, it is a brand new batch of barleywine right off the barrel but even so I can see how this will age awesomely. Their Mash series is definitely an amazing series and I hope to see more in the future. I highly recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Q-Bee from Darkstalkers was chosen even though the beer is made with maple and not honey. The reason I went with this because just like honey, maple syrup is just as sticky and added to breakfast items like French Toast or waffles was similarly sweet. Even the design of the label was closer to a honey comb. This and the fact that Q-Bee’s weapons are utensils, I think it worked out nicely. Bees are attracted to sweet maple syrup too!

Sources:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn246/rise15/DarkStalkers-QueenBee01.jpg
http://i4.pixiv.net/img-original/img/2015/12/14/13/05/51/54036163_p0.jpg
http://static.wixstatic.com/media/4608b1_3287cd81593047be9f0d235008414f14.jpg_srz_1573_880_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz
http://orig06.deviantart.net/2282/f/2015/044/c/8/qbee_keyshot_mainshot_by_llazar-d8hw9w3.jpg

Bourbon Barrel Aged Drago by Onion Pub & Brewery / Wild Onion Brewing Co.

December 29, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Aged Drago, Drago, Onion Pub & Brewery, RIS, Russian Imperial Stout, Tailenders, Tomoe Mikagura, Wild Onion Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Bourbon Barrel Aged Drago by Onion Pub & Brewery / Wild Onion Brewing Co. is a 10% ABV Russian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Dark than a cold Siberian winter night and a bigger than Ivan Drago’s uppercut, this formidable beer took a long time to reach your discerning palate. Brewed with vast amounts of roasted barley and aged in oak bourbon barrels for 8 months. This Russian Imperial stout is a contender!

==Introduction==

I had obtained this one as an extra when I obtained 2016 Big Hugs. This is the first time I try a beer from Wild Onion brewing. I have seen this one in many different online places but I had never bothered to get it. There is always a first and for being the first time I bring one of their beers to the site, especially one like this, I am thankful I got it. Now, let us have a look at the breakdown on this one, cheers!

Aromas:
Vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak bourbon, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, smokey notes, roasted malt, coffee roast, dark fruit currants, raisins, blackberries, raspberries, dark cherries, almond joy, anise, tobacco, coffee cake, crème brulee, bananas, flan, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, fudge chocolate, brown sugar and Irish cream.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Fudge Chocolate, Dark fruit raisins, currants, raspberries, dark cherries, blackberries, crème brulee, vanilla, oak bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, chocolate mousse, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, Khalua Coffee liqueur, bananas, clove spice hints, molasses, tobacco, almond joy chocolate, leather notes, anise, brownie batter, chocolate cherry cake, mocha chocolate, Irish cream, sweetened condensed milk, coffee cake and Cadbury chocolate caramel cream eggs.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with a lot of lingering flavors of oak, vanilla, caramel, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, dark fruit, crème brulee, flan, tobacco and bourbon notes. No alcohol in the taste despite ABV, Dark supreme full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A very exceptional Russian imperial stout with flavors ranging from many of the awesome Bourbon Barrel aged stouts I have had in the past like Bourbon County, Parabola, Dragon’s Milk and many many more. I am not sure how often this comes out or hard it is to get but I definitely would love to get several more of these little bottles. It is pretty damn amazing and definitely worthy of a world class status. Highly recommended if you can find it!

Anime Corner:
Tomoe Mikagura from Tailenders was chosen as I wanted to go with a character that reminded me of the crazy Haruko Haruhara but since this character had similar features, I said fuck it. Besides, She fits the bill in terms of the rose to match the reds of the label, winter gear for that winters of Siberia in reference to the description of this beer and spiky hair to remind me of dragons. Although Drago was based on the name but it sure was damn close.

Sources:
http://www.animeclick.it/images/Anime_big/Tailenders/Tailenders20.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZuIDbLe11yE/maxresdefault.jpg
https://muusi.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/tailenders_3.jpg
http://www.animedimenzija.com/site/images/topic_images/tailenders08.jpg

Botanicals & Barrels Series: Tangerine Quad by Avery Brewing

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Alucard, Avery Brewing, Belgian Quad, Belgian Quadrupel, Botanicals & Barrels Series, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Quad, Citrus Tangerina, Hellsing, Seras Victoria, Tangerine Peel, Tangerine Quad, Tangerines | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.35/6

Botanicals & Barrels Series: Tangerine Quad by Avery Brewing is an 10.1% ABV Belgian Quadruple with Tangerine Peel aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
Citrus Tangerina

Patiently aged in the finest of Bourbon barrels, this bold Belgian-style Quadrupel layers notes of rich, dark fruit, vanilla, and caramel with a burst of tangerine peel culminating in the vibrancy of this full-bodied creation.

Brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, imported Belgian Specialty malted barley, dark Belgian candy sugar, tangerine peel, hops, and Belgian yeast.

==Introduction==

When I first saw this I thought it was an awesome idea. I am always open to try one of my favorite styles of beer done by different breweries. Especially barrel aged versions of them. This one was a recent release to the Botanicals & Barrels Series by Avery. The only other brew from this series I have tried was the Vanilla Stout aged in Bourbon. That was one was very awesome. I can only hope this one does the same for me. Let’s take a look, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark candy sugar, caramel, dark fruit raisins, figs, plum, dates, oranges, tangerines, hazelnut, toffee, rye bread, butterscotch, marshmallows, graham crackers, bananas, clove spice, fruit cake, vanilla, oak hints, bourbon, lemon hints, stone fruits and mild coconut.

Flavors:
Rich Tangerines, tangerine gummies, Dark candy sugar, caramel, oak, toasted coconut, bourbon, vanilla, marshmallow smores, pecan, pie, dark fruit raisins, figs, plum, dates, fruit cake, cinnamon, raw sun oranges, old orange notes, lemon peel, kumquats, stone fruit peach, apricot, banana hints, clove spice hints, rye bread, toasted bread, toffee, butterscotch and hazelnut hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich with citrus, caramel, dark fruit hints, hints of oak, bourbon, rye bread, banana hints and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, crimson amber clear body, smooth, creamy, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel along with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A bit exceptional quad simply due to the transformation given off of the tangerines and the bourbon barrel aging process. While I think the brew is damn awesome and very complex, essentially the brew does have some downsides from being a perfect exceptional brew. For starters, the tangerine, while very delicious, overwhelms the rest of the flavors. The others do come up but not in a balanced way the way other quads do. It is still very ridiculously awesome. I still highly recommend it if you love quads so you can give it a try.

Anime Corner:
Seras Victoria from Hellsing was chosen in this pairing because I wanted some dark fruit colors and religious influences to pair with the style of the brew. The Orange hair was for the Tangerines. Essentially, the show is about using the powers of Alucard under the control of the Vatican to vanquish monsters and demons from the world of the living. Seras essentially was turned immortal by Alucard so she wouldn’t die but it also changed her as well. So in this pairing, I tried to get the colors to fit with the amber and crimson colors of this quad and the flavors amplified with dark fruits and tangerines. Also, bourbon barrel aging would denote their power.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/HELLSING.full.756830.jpg
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2014-11-13-686293.jpeg
http://www.animextremist.com/imagenes/hellsing/hellsing30.jpg
http://randomarchive.com/data/b/image/1456/955/1456955587313.jpg

2016 Chronology:18 Wee Heavy by the Bruery

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chronology:18, Extreme Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters, Kylie Griffin, Scotch Ale, SCOTCHOLOGY, The Bruery, Wee Heavy | 1 Comment

Rating: 6.5/7

2016 Chronology:18 Wee Heavy by the Bruery is a 14.2% ABV Wee Heavy/Scotch Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels for 18 months.

Label:
SCOTCHOLOGY
This wee heavy ale aged in bourbon barrels is the third in a chronologically aged series released at six-month intervals to chart the evolution of barrel-aged character over time.

In this installment of our Chronology Series We brewed a wee heavy – known for rich, malt-forward flavors – and set it to age in bourbon barrels. Every six months, we’ll take a quarter of the barrels, blend them and bottle them. This third bottling represents the nuances imparted to the base beer after eighteen months of barrel aging.

==Introduction==

It has been another 6 months since the last release of the Chronology Series: Wee Heavy. I am not sure if they are leaving this one to be the last one in the Wee Heavy series but regardless, I hope it is better than the last installment. For the second run of this series, so far, barrel aging has done wonders. I think for many styles this would definitely work out. So as we set forth to trying the next brew, I hope they complete it at 24 like they did the last one. Next year, we will be seeing an Imperial Porter aged for several months. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian chocolate, smoked peat, Cadbury cream caramel and chocolate eggs, oak, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, molasses, tobacco, leather, dark fruit prunes, raisins, currants, raspberries, plums, figs, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, marshmallows, chocolate smores, scotch whisky, chocolate turtle truffles, almond joy chocolate and rocky road ice cream.

Flavors:
Super Cadbury cream caramel and chocolate eggs, oak, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee, Jericalla Mexican custard, flan, fruit cake, chocolate turtle truffles, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, rich pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, smoked peat, marshmallows, chocolate smores, scotch whisky, rum notes, toffee, port wine, capirotada raisin bread pudding, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian chocolate, chocolate mousse, dark fruit prunes, raisins, currants, raspberries, plums, figs, nutmeg, maple syrup, bananas, clove spice, anise, licorice, molasses, tobacco, leather, cherry marzipan and rich prailine Danish bread cookies.

Aftertaste:
Ongoing delights of Danish cream, Cadbury eggs, dark fruits, oak, anise, Scotch whiskey, smoked peat hints, marshmallow smores, crème brulee, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar and toasted coconuts. No alcohol in the taste, Dark brown full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and chewy mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Damn, Damn damn damn! Probably the best wee heavy I have ever had!! The flavors or sweet murky Cadbury eggs and extreme complexity are never ending. I would almost give it the bucket lister treatment if it wasn’t for the fact that there is one final installment in the series. This is utter proof that beers that are aged specialties will age ridiculously to the point where they are supreme. Long after sipping, you will spend several minutes still feeling the flavors in your mouth. This thing coats big time like spirit possession. Which is funny as I do have to say something about that in the picture pairing. Anyways, this beer is a must get as it is aging very well.

Anime Corner:
Kylie Griffin from Extreme Ghostbusters was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair the colors of the label mainly. Her hair and other colors fit but also fit the other aspects of the beer like the dark fruit flavors. As I tried the beer, I noticed how the flavors just linger for a long time. So long that it was almost like a possession of a ghost or spirit. Which actually fits the theme I was going for as Kylie is a Ghostbuster and the beer needs capturing. It is damn good!

Sources:
http://pre09.deviantart.net/a7aa/th/pre/f/2014/330/9/3/kylie_by_adgrafiteepixel-d87rscf.jpg
http://orig02.deviantart.net/2935/f/2016/226/b/5/kylie_griffin__extreme_ghostbuster__by_luke_kage-dadveja.png
http://img04.deviantart.net/c3a3/i/2012/333/9/9/kylie_by_nessasan-d5mkfck.png

Bourbon Barrel Aged 8 Maids A Milking by The Bruery

December 13, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 12 Beers of Christmas, 8 Maids A Milking, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Ayeka Masaki Jurai, Belgian Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Aged 8 Maids A Milking, Imperial Milk Stout, Kiyone Makibi, Mihoshi, Nagi, Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko Hakubi, sasami, Sweet Stout, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo, The Bruery, Twelve Beers of Christmas, Washu Hakubi | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.25/7

Bourbon Barrel Aged 8 Maids A Milking by The Bruery is an 13.7% ABV Belgian Imperial Milk Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
WÆS HÆIL!

This is what happens when eight maids lay down in bourbon barrels for a year: a rare display of darker, velvety chocolate notes to 8 Maids-a-Milking, the eighth beer in our 12 Days of Christmas series.

This is 8 Maids-A-Milking, the eighth beer in our 12 Days of Christmas series, aged in bourbon barrels for about a year. The Belgian-style imperial milk stout emerges this holiday season with deeper, richer, darker milk chocolate notes, along with amplified roastiness and ripples of caramel, coconut and vanilla character. Drink alongside the 2015 release to revel in the udderances achieved through barrel-aging.

==Introduction==

Released to the Reserve and Hoarders society. This beer is based on the original 8 Maids A Milking which was released in 2015. The original was very damn delicious. The Belgian Imperial Milk Stout isn’t something that is always brewed. The last time I had one was when I made the Trappist Milk Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels which was the Oblivixen’s Maelstrom. I had recalled there were some flavors of the Bruery’s 8 Maids a Milking in that beer but ofcourse mines was amped up several degrees with barrel aging and different ingredients. Now that we have the barrel aged version of what I think is one of the Bruery’s best Christmas beers, let’s have a look and see if this is worth finding, cheers!

Aromas:
Rich oak, bourbon, vanilla, marshmallows, toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, dark candi sugar, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, crème brulee, brown sugar, molasses and bananas.

Flavors:
Dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, vanilla, oak, bourbon, toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, dark candi sugar, Stone fruit peach hints, peach preserves, apricots, mango, lychee fruit, rocky road ice cream, bananas, clove spice, milk sugar, rock candy, pistachio ice cream, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate, peanut butter notes, cocoa krispies, hazelnut nectar, mocha, roasted coffee notes, marshmallow smores, cookie dough ice cream, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, crème brulee, brown sugar, molasses, mints, anise and toasted rye bread.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with oak, bourbon, milk sugar, chocolate, dark fruit, stone fruit, mocha, marshmallow smores, vanilla, caramel, earthy notes and coffee cake. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, super smooth, creamy, frothy, very rich and creamy mouthfeel, with a drinkability that does not equate to its ABV.

Overall:
Holy shit, this is a real mind blow! The original was one of my favorite Belgian Milk Stouts aside from my own creation. This barrel aged version is even more insane. You get the great barrel aging flavors that the Bruery’s process gives and still get a lot of the original but definitely enhanced into a new level of oblivion. The chocolate milk, toasted coconut, dark fruit and caramel goodness is really over the top. If you do decide to get this one, definitely get several of these, you won’t regret it!

Anime Corner:
Ryoko Hakubi, Ayeka Masaki, Washu Hakubi, Ryo-Ohki, Mihoshi, Sasami, Kiyone Makibi and Nagi of the Tenchi Muyo in Tokyo series were included in this pairing to represent the 8 maids-a-milking. Tenshi Masaki and the other characters are not one of them as I included Ryo-Ohki who is a girl and is Ryoko’s spaceship but also is in love with Tenchi and well, all of them are Tenchi’s harem so Tenchi is in the picture by default just like the previous beer review. They are his 8 maids-a-milking. Not literally I hope but they all work the farm in the Tenchi Muyo series while there are no Space havocs about ofcourse.

Sources:
http://todoanimes.com/img/animes/fondos/382.jpg

Mélange 10 (Mélange X) by The Bruery

December 13, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Backstreet Billiards, Barleywine, Beer Hybrid, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chiles, Cinnamon, May, Mélange 10, Mélange X, Mexican Chocolate, mole, Old Ale, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Mélange 10 (Mélange X) by The Bruery is a 15% ABV Old Ale and Barleywine Hybrid brewed with Chiles, Mexican Chocolate & Cinnamon and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
60% Bourbon barrel aged Anniversary ale and
40% Bourbon barrel aged barleywine with chilies, chocolate, and cinnamon.

A Hoarders Society competition yielded this south of the border blend of Bourbon barrel aged Anniversary and Barrel Aged Old Richland with Ancho chiles and Mexican-style chocolate.

Mélange #10 was designed by Hoarders Society members for Hoarders Society members. This barrel aged specialty is best enjoyed fresh, but may develop pleasantly if cellared properly.
==Introduction==

Released originally for the Hoarders society and then in 2016, released to Reserve society members. I had actually missed out on this one due to that reason. It does seem that a good amount of Hoarder exclusive beers have started to become available to the lower tiers as the years go in. In fact, it is getting to the point where some of the old releases will see public releases in the future. This release is definitely different as they are not using part of a stout but an old ale and barleywine. So the use of the Mexican chocolate, chilies and cinnamon will definitely make for one very unique brew. Let’s just see if it is worthy of the praise, cheers!

Aromas:
Ginger bread, nutmeg, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, figs, cherries, currants, stone fruit peaches, apricots, chocolate abuelita, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cinnamon, Cadbury caramel and chocolate cream eggs, flan, bananas, clove spice, marshmallows, Molé spices, coconut hints, coffee cake, tobacco hints, vanilla, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, and molasses.

Flavors:
Rich chocolate abuelita, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cinnamon, Cadbury caramel and chocolate cream eggs, flan, pecan pie, stone fruit peach cobbler, brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger bread, pan dulce, capirotada raisin bread pudding, ancho chile, guajillo chile, all spice, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, figs, cherries, currants, stone fruit peaches, apricots, sweet yams, pecan pie, anise, molasses, bananas, clove spice, marshmallows, Molé spices, coconut hints, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, toffee, chai spice, tobacco hints, coffee cake, biscuit bread, nougat caramel, Mexican fudge cake and coconut.

Aftertaste:
Finishing rich with chocolate abuelita flavors, cinnamon, ginger spice, vanilla, caramel, chile hints and coffee hints. Slight alcohol in the taste but not detracting from the flavors. Dark full body, smooth, creamy, chewy and velvety mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptionally decadent brew. Not too heat wise spicy, but spicy none the less. Semi Sweet with the chocolate but because it is an old ale and barleywine blend, the complex flavors are different than any other Mexican Chocolate or Molé beer. The fact is, the different level of spices really comes out more but at the same time, it is still balanced. Definitely find this one if you can, cheers!

Anime Corner:
May from Backstreet Billiards was chosen for this pairing to go with the colors, the flavors, the ingredients and the theme of the beer. Essentially, a Molé and Mexican hot chocolate beer. Since she is a favorite character of mines for many years, I tend to bring her back with beers that correlate with Mexican heritage as she complements these beers well. Especially for a Mélange series brew, Ahuevo!

Sources:
http://s27.postimg.org/ht9xex4cj/bsb_copy.jpg

Lizard of Koz by Founders brewing

December 12, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Blueberries, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chocolate, Founders Brewing, Imperial Stout, King of Fighters, KOF, Leona Heidern, Lizard of Koz, Metal Slug, SNK, vanilla | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Lizard of Koz by Founders brewing is a 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Blueberries, Chocolate and Vanilla aged in Bourbon Barrels.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
This one is near and dear to our hearts. Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki wanted to make the birthday of his little sister, Liz, a special one. So he did what he does best and brewed a stout using a few of her favorite ingredients: fresh Michigan blueberries, rich chocolate and vanilla aged in bourbon barrels to round out those beautiful flavors. Liz was floored and we think you will be too.

==Introduction==

Founders does not release many barrel aged brews but the ones they do release are bad ass! KBS and Backwoods Bastards are no exceptions to these rules as both are world class beers. This one comes towards us like bat out of hell or a Godzilla rising out of the water ready to start a fight with some bitch ass monsters. Oh wait, it is a lizard on the label. The name Lizard of Koz can have many meanings. Koz as in the 7th division head priest or according to the urban dictionary, a word you can use any way you want and it will still make sense. The only thing that makes sense right now is this brew review so let’s show the world what this blue berry radiation from Godzilla’s spines is all about, cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Blueberries, vanilla, bourbon, oak, caramel, anise, molasses, dulce de leche caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, coffee cake, Kahlua liqueur, dark fruit raisins, blueberries, currants, pomegranates, raspberries, blueberries cheese cake, blueberry marshmallow smores, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate and toasted coconut hints.

Flavors:
Rich dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, dark fruit raisins,blueberries, currants, pomegranates, raspberries, blueberries cheese cake, blueberry marshmallow smores, blueberry mint ice cream, anise, molasses, tobacco hints, bourbon, oak, pecan pie, bananas, coffee cake, Kahlua liqueur, fruit cake, licorice hints, maple syrup, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, cookie dough ice cream, Danish cream, steamed blueberry milk, blueberry yogurt, blueberry preserves on toasted rye bread, mocha, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee and toasted coconut.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich dark fruits, blueberry yogurt, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, banana hints, marshmallows, Danish cream and brown sugar. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Another Barrel aged bucket lister hitting the list right next to BBA Smashed Blueberry by Shipyard and Birra Artigianale Draco by Birrificio Montegioco. This one definitely lets the blueberries, chocolate and vanilla drive the point forward long with a rich complexity provided by the base beer and the bourbon oak. They were for going for a damn decadent rich blueberry dessert and damn, the achieved gold! This literally hits you flat on your face with rich flavors. I highly recommend you get this one!

Anime Corner:
Leona Heidern from SNK’s King of Fighters/Metal Slug series was chosen not only because they relased a bad ass brew, but because sometimes you just need a bad ass character to make a bad ass representation. Leona gives the manliest of men blue balls not just by her looks but by kicking the shit out of her opponents and them saying thank you and coming back for more. Leona don’t take shit from no one and just like this beer is ridiculous, so is she. Can you really dominate this brew? Good fucking luck!!

Sources:
https://k61.kn3.net/taringa/2/7/8/2/1/0/95/zangetsuariel/8DB.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/bc/5f/59/bc5f59ab5c12b200f5caba427e38a594.jpg
https://cdnb3.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/003/013/155/large/mu-hyeon-seong-.jpg?1468492529
https://yt3.ggpht.com/-o9yX4hZJKRY/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAAA/Pimj5zsj1fg/s900-c-k-no-mo-rj-c0xffffff/photo.jpg
http://img0.reactor.cc/pics/post/king-of-fighters-Игры-leona-heidern-taroimo-(00120014)-3340752.png

Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy by Oskar Blues

December 10, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Imperial Stout, Ayeka Masaki Jurai, Ayeka Misaki Jurai, Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy, Oskar Blues, Russian Imperial Stout, Ten Fidy, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy by Oskar Blues is a 12. 9% ABV World Class Russian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Stone Pipe Can
Half-Baked Fully Toasted
This Dog’ll Hunt
==Introduction==

Originally released in October 2015 to the brewery exclusively. This year, Oskar Blues was able to release this to the public although in limited quantities. Seeing as how big this beer was when it was first released, trying to get it on the public release may have been just a hard if it wasn’t for the online retail sites like craftshack.com that sells the beers. The unfortunate part is that they only limit one beer per 48 hours and by the time you want to buy another, they are all gone. I made so sacrifices but thankfully, I was able to bring this one to the site. Since the release of the original TenFidy, I have longed to try this one. Let’s go! Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate drink, Mocha, Java, Espresso, roasted coffee, Irish Cream, Khalua liquer hints, tobacco notes, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, Dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, currants, black berries, prunes, cherry cordials, marshmallows, toasted coconut, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, bourbon, flan, sweetened condensed milk, pecan pie and hazelnut nectar.

Flavors:
Rich rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, toasted coconut, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, bourbon, flan, sweetened condensed milk, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, walnuts, double chocolate cherry cake, Jericalla Mexican custard, Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate drink, Mocha, Java, Espresso, roasted coffee, Irish Cream, Khalua liquer hints, molasses, clove spice, bananas, plantains, chocolate graham cracker smores, chocolate mint ice cream hints, chocolate oatmeal cookies, roasted barley, Dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, currants, black berries, prunes, cherry cordials, pancho pantera chocolate milk shake, port wine hints, almond joys and tobacco notes.

Aftertaste:
Rich chocolate, marshmallows, toasted coconut, almond joy, oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruits, smores, bourbon, pecan pie and tobacco notes. Slight alcohol hints in the aftertaste but not detracting from the overall flavors. Pitch black delicious full body, smooth, creamy, silky, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Ridiculously awesome! Top tier supreme, Oskar Blues best beer next to the Death by Coconut. I still have not tried their Rum Coconut one but this has been a long time coming. A single can is definitely a night capper as trying to finish this in one sitting might be difficult for some people. It is definitely best shared for sure but I definitely have to agree that this one is all it is cracked out to be. Supreme chocolate complex goodness and it is one that should be highly sought after.

Anime Corner:
Ayeka Misaki Jurai from the Tenchi Muyo! Series was used in the original review I did for Ten Fidy. The reason I wanted to bring her back is part of the tribute. I tried to bring some some pictures that may be different to pair with. The only fitting one that I can think of is Ayeka in the new dress that does complement the beer colors as well.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/Bm6KWhc.png
https://cdnb1.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/481/813/large/katarzyna-marlewska-aeka-final-small.jpg?1447183990
http://webspace.webring.com/people/bd/daniel_rivera_resto/ayeka012.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MfZXI2i.jpg

Derde Golf by The Bruery Terreux

December 8, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, anniversary ale, Belgian Quadrupel, blackberries, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Coffee Beans, Darkstalkers, Derde Golf, Hsien-ko, lei-lei, Lord Raptor, Midnight Bliss, Oak aged, Old Ale, Portola Coffee Lab, Quadrupel Tonnellerie, Sour Quadrupel, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, Zabel | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Derde Golf by The Bruery Terreux is a 12.3% ABV Belgian Sour Quadrupel Oak aged with Blackberries and Bourbon Barrel aged Old Ale with Portola Coffee Lab’s coffee beans.

Label:
It’s time for the third wave – a beer that awakens the senses from first sniff to first sip. This sour, blended ale folds our sour, oak-aged Belgian style quadrupel with blackberries into our malt-forward, bourbon barrel-aged old ale, and finishes with a Flemish good morning kiss, for an awakening, robust and sweet & sour twist. It’s complimented and balanced by the gentle, roasty character imparted from freshly roasted coffee from our friend’s at Portola Coffee Lab – a blend that was specifically selected for this complex, sour coffee ale, and a concept that was nearly a year in the making.

==Introduction==

Released to Hoarders and Reserve society members. I did not think much about getting this one at first. Then I saw what it was made with. Essentially, they took their awesome Quadrupel Tonnellerie and Anniversary ale, combined it and added coffee. Ridiculousness! But I say that in an awesome epic way. Both base beers are already exceptional. Therefore, taking this to the next level is definitely what the Bruery does best. Now the question is, should one get this one? Well, that is where we come in to advise you, the reader, whether we think you should give this one a shot. Let’s do this, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit currants, dark cherries, plums, raisins, figs, raspberries, wine grapes, blackberries, concorde grapes, fruit cake, oak, bourbon, dark candi sugar, bananas, clove spice, anise, tobacco notes, molasses, dark candi sugar, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Cadbury caramel and chocolate cream eggs, hazelnut nectar, mocha, Khalua liqueur, java and sweetened condensed milk

Flavors:
Bourbon, oak, wine grapes, pan dulce, blackberry cobbler, fruit cake, concorde grapes, blueberry muffins, dark fruit currants, dark cherries, plums, raisins, figs, dark candi sugar, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Cadbury caramel and chocolate cream eggs, lemon peel, red wine, toasted coconut, marshmallows smores, bananas, clove spice, anise, tobacco notes, molasses, leather, raspberry Chambord liquer, blackberry and blueberry cheesecake, rock candy, capirotada raisin bread pudding, figgy pudding, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, mocha, Khalua liqueur, java, espresso, coffee cake, steamed milk, crème brulee, sweetened condensed milk, flan, chocolate cherry cordials and Tres Leches/Three Creams cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich dark fruits, of blackberries, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, vanilla, clove space, bananas, dark candi sugar, rock candi, blackberry yogurt, toffee, dark chocolate, oak, and pecan pie. No alcohol in the taste, full dark amber body, effervescent, smooth and silky mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
This is damn insane! This is indeed the best Belgian Sour Quad ever! The Blackberries and Coffee just raise it to those OVERKILL levels. Not in a bad way but of the deep and supremely luscious bliss kind of way. Heck even the fact that the base beers are already above exceptional, this just takes it to that bucket lister level. Definitely find a way to get this one. A lot of awesome stuff in this bottle.

Anime Corner:
Hsien-Ko/Lei Lei and Zabel/Lord Raptor (Midnight Bliss) were used in this pairing to go somewhat with the label but mainly the colors of the dark fruits and flavors of the beer. I have not used Hsien-ko in a beer for the Bruery before so I definitely thought this was the perfect opportunity. Zabel was merely there as you can think of the 2 beer fusion in coffee as represented by Hsien-Ko coming to Zabel from behind.

Sources:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsL6t_gXYAQAEGW.jpg
https://jr4rt.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/hsien_ko_small.jpg
https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/3d435-lei_lei_by_genzoman.jpg
http://blog-imgs-27-origin.fc2.com/m/o/u/moudamepo11/24(s).png

Botanicals & Barrels Series: Vanilla Bean Stout by Avery Brewing

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Anna Marie, Avery Brewing, Botanicals & Barrels Series, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Imperial Stout, Marvel, Rogue, Vanilla Bean Stout, vanilla beans, Xmen | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Botanicals & Barrels Series: Vanilla Bean Stout by Avery Brewing is an 11% ABV Imperial Stout with vanilla beans aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
A double dose of vanilla derived from both fresh Bourbon barrels and the trio of Tongan, Ugandan, and Mexican whole vanilla beans is complemented by the essences of chocolate, caramel and molasses to round out this luxurious silky stout.

==Introduction==

I have heard great things about this brew. There have been many times that I had the opportunity to grab it but didn’t passing it up for other beers. Now that I saw it once again, I decided to bring it to the site. I have tried many vanilla stouts and barrel aged vanilla stout. Some are more awesome than others but generally, they are all definitely very good. It is not often I have vanilla stouts by themselves as sometimes you will have your vanilla bean and cacao nib beers that are very delicious but plain vanilla is definitely a great feat. Especially when trying to make beers like flan or crème brulee like. Let’s see how far this one will go, cheers!

Aromas:
Lots of vanilla, marshmallow smores, oak, bourbon, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolate, fruit cake, brown sugar, crème brulee, flan, sweetened condensed milk, Jericalla Jaliscan custard, burnt sugar, dark fruit figs, prunes, raisins, cinnamon, coffee, mocha, rye bread and molasses.

Flavors:
Rich vanilla, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smores, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bananas, clove spice, plantains, mint chocolate chip ice cream, crème brulee, flan, sweetened condensed milk, Jericalla Jaliscan custard, burnt sugar, dark fruit figs, prunes, raisins, hazelnut nectar, maple notes, cinnamon, capirotada raisin bread pudding, rye bread, coffee, mocha, rocky road ice cream, oatmeal cookies, almond joy chocolate, vanilla and chocolate brownies, fruit cake, brown sugar, piloncillo sugar cone hints, hazelnut nectar, macadamia nuts and chocolate cherry cordials.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with smooth vanilla, bourbon, toffee, caramel, dark fruit, oak, chocolate, mint, anise, flan, Jericalla custard and crème brulee hints. No alcohol in the taste, Dark full body, syrupy, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Exceptional vanilla decadent beer. Lots of vanilla, complex and balanced flavors and not too over powering. It can be soft at times and is not too sweet either. Almost like a semi sweet ice cream. Then again most craft beers are like liquid ice cream in general. This one is no exception to the rule. Very enjoyable brew for all BBA brew lovers. I highly recommend it.

Anime Corner:
Rogue/Anna Marie from Marvel’s X-men was chosen for this pairing mainly to go with the colors of the label with the green, white, yellow and red. Her hair colors pairs well with the vanilla plant from the picture shown on the label. I figured this would make a nice pairing by just getting the colors right. Also, Rogue is a character that absorbs people’s strength, memories and powers. Basically, this beer will own you!

Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6d/c7/7d/6dc77d95fb3628ff685bb31d90548d15.jpg
http://65.media.tumblr.com/05c284d4df2a9b5a3fc6effc0028820e/tumblr_o75dpwtems1sxptq1o1_500.jpg
https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/7677d-16.jpg

2016 So Happens It’s Tuesday by The Bruery

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bakuretsu Tenshi, Black Tuesday, Burst Angel, Imperial Stout, JO, Session beer, So Happens It's Tuesday, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/6

2016 So Happens It’s Tuesday by The Bruery is a 14.7% ABV Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels

I had done a review earlier this year and The Bruery released another on October 2016 so to check out the review I did click the link below. While this version is slightly stronger, they both are awesome!

https://animebeers.com/2016/02/27/2016-so-happens-its-tuesday-by-the-bruery/

Cordial BBLS by The Bruery Terreux

November 30, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Imperial Stout, American Strong Ale, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged, cacao nibs, cherries, Cordial BBLS, cuvee, Dark Cherries, Dark Sakura, inner Sakura, Naruto, sakura Haruno, So Happens It's Tuesday, tart cherries, Tart of Darkness, The Brue, The Bruery, vanilla beans | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Cordial BBLS by The Bruery Terreux is a 12.3% ABV American Strong Cuvee of Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout, Sour Stout and Imperial Stout with cacao nibs, cherries and vanilla.

Commercial Description:
Blend of Black Tuesday, Tart of Darkness and So Happens It’s Tuesday with cacao nibs, cherries & vanilla

==Introduction==

Hot Diggity Damn! The BBLs has been hard to come by. Not all versions of these special Melange type blends actually make it to bottles nor do they make it to even reserve members. This special blend was a tap room exclusive and it was one I could not pass up especially since they actually allowed the purchase of it via a 32 ounce growler. Knowing the Bruery for making beers that taste exactly or super close to what they say it would, I think nothing less that this would taste like an actual Cherry Chocolate Cordial especially with the ingredients used. Tart Cherries, vanilla and cacao nibs. Let’s take a look and see if it’s true, cheers!

Aromas:
Tart Sour Cherries, Dark chocolates, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers chocolate, Belgian chocolates, Pantera cherry choco milk shake, bananas, butterscotch, molasses, anise, tobacco, leather, Dark fruit cherries, raisins, prunes, concord grapes, currants, blueberries, Toasted coconut, strawberry cheese cake, brown sugar, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, chocolate cheesecake, cherry mazapan and rocky road ice cream.

Flavors:
Sweet and Tart juicy cherries, dark cherries, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers chocolate, Belgian chocolates, Dark fruit cherries, raisins, prunes, concord grapes, currants, blueberries, Toasted coconut, strawberry cheese cake, brown sugar, blueberry muffin, Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper hints, port wine, bourbon, marshmallow smores, oak, flan, chocolate cherry cake, fudge cake, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate mousse, Pancho Pantera cherry choco milk shake, bananas, butterscotch, molasses, anise, tobacco, leather, graham crackers, rocky road ice cream, mint, cherry marzipan and cherry sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
Lots of rich chocolates, rich dark cherries, rich dark fruits, vanilla, hazelnut hints, pecan pie, dulce de leche caramel, port wine, tart grape notes, coconut notes and bourbon. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and chewey mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Amazingly ridiculous. A bucket lister if they ever put it in bottles. This beer is ridiculous. The tartness from the cherries balances out the sweetness from the chocolate and vanilla that it makes it decadent. I definitely think this should actually be their next bottling as it is too damn perfect. I don’t know if they will have this one at the Bruery by the time the review comes out but I am hoping that if you ever see this one, do not skip out on it. It was definitely worth the pick up to bring it to the site and I highly recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Sakura Haruno from Naruto as I wanted to pair the colors of dark chocolate cherry and she seemed to fit the bill just nicely. Like biting into a plumpy Choco cherry cordial, this beer is damn irresistable. The tart sour aspects come from her attitude as well as her inner rage known as Inner Sakura. This beer is no joke and the strength wielded by its ABV can be deadly and bliss at the same time.

Sources:
http://www.chuing.net/zboard/revol_getimg.php?id=mfa&no=48179&num=0&fc=d920683bfdb39f570ee673b6580a4334
https://skategb.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/595882.jpg
http://photos.hdlandscapewallpaper.com/anime/naruto/naruto2670.jpg

2016 Mash & Coconut by The Bruery

November 30, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, almond joy, best beers in the world, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, coconut, Dulce de leche, English Barley Wine, English Barleywine, Knives Chau, macaroons, MASH, Mash & Coconut, Ramona Flowers, rocky road ice cream, Scott Pilgrim, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, The Bruery, Toasted Coconut, World class, World Class Barleywine, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2016 Mash & Coconut by The Bruery is a 13.1 % ABV World Class English Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels with coconut.

Label:
Bear The Palm

This Rendition of our classic bourbon barrel-aged barleywine ale amplifies the coconut character natively derived from extensive bourbon-barrel-aging.

This is our classic bourbon barrel-aged barleywine ale, Mash, stretching to new levels. Mash & Coconut has coconut added – nearly 1 lb. Per gallon, which ratchets up the complex coconut character and complements the oaky and vanilla notes that are imparted to the beer as part of its extensive maturation in oak bourbon barrels.

==Introduction==

After 2 years, the Bruery has finally re-released the one of their most awesome beers, the Mash and Coconut. I remember this one distinctively since the first time they released it, it was not up to their standards. Essentially, they had issues with the beer that could only be served at their tap room and not be bottled. Fast forward to now, and they not only released a tap room of it, but also in bottle form. I bring this one back as I remember it being a supreme coconut joy. Now since it has been released to all societies, let’s take a look at it from a bottle perspective, cheers!

Aromas:
Lots of toasted coconut, vanilla, caramel dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, chocolate brownies, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows smores, butterscotch, dark fruit prunes, currants, dark cherries, plums, stone fruit peaches and cream, peach cobbler, rye toast with coconut burnt sugar, Mexican Alfajor Coconut pastry, madamia nuts, Macaroons, flan, brown sugar and bananas.

Flavors:
Supreme coconut cream and pecan pie nectar, hazelnut, Dark chocolate, Milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate mousse, dark fruit prunes, currants, dark cherries, plums, fruit cake, marshmallows, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, smoked peat, toffee, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, stone fruit peaches and cream, peach cobbler, rye toast with coconut burnt sugar, Mexican Alfajor Coconut pastry, madamia nuts, Macaroons, flan, coconut custard, capirotada raisin bread pudding, maple, oatmeal raisins cookies, plantains, Danish cream, chocolate brownies, rocky road ice cream, butterscotch, marshmallow smores and graham crackers.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with Rich Almond joy chocolate, dark fruits, bourbon notes, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, flan, bananas, Mexican coconut candy, hazelnut nectar, vanilla and cheesecake. No alcohol despite the ABV. Dark brown full body, smooth creamy, chewy and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A bucket lister that finally was released in bottles. With the separation of Sour and regular brews, a much more controlled environment was what made this possible for the Bruery. Thankfully it was finally released and this time, Preservation Society would see this one coming. So if you signed up for Quarter 4 2016, you will get this one along with Black Tuesday and another brew. This is a must get and if you can get several, do cellar them. This is insane, I highly recommend this one!

Anime Corner:
Ramona Flowers and Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World were used in this pairing as the original since I wanted to compare them to the name MASH & COCONUT. Ramona always has a hammer ready to MASH up her opponents and Knives is a smooth ninja representing the coconut flavors and the overall smoothness of the beer. This is way too easy to drink. They are both hot but super damn deadly. Some of the colors of the label also pair with the artwork. Scott is there for the other complex flavors of the beer as well as the other characters from the series.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1250828
http://data.whicdn.com/images/102897436/large.jpg
http://data.whicdn.com/images/89284118/large.png

2016 Hoarders Cuvée by The Bruery

October 14, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, anniversary ale, Beer Hybrid, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged, cacao nibs, cuvee, Hoarders Cuvée, hoarders society, Imperial Stout, Melange, Old Ale, Raspberries, The Bruery, vanilla beans, Yoko, Yoko Littner, Yoko Ritona | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2016 Hoarders Cuvée by The Bruery is an 18.5% ABV American Strong Ale/Old Ale/Cuvée hybrid aged in bourbon barrels, raspberries, vanilla beans and cacao nibs.

Label:
An invitation to join The Bruery Hoarders Society is the ultimate nod in how far you’ve come in your craft beer journey. Each year as a member, you get access to some of the most elusive and exclusive beers (such as this) and one-of-a-kind experiences, like going toe-to-toe with your peers in blending sessions exclusive to Hoarders.

This Cuvée is the icing on the cake – literally – as it took top honors in the Hoarders Cuvée blending tournament to be produced by The Bruery in 2016. Featuring a nearly equal blend of our most storied bourbon barrel-aged beers – Black Tuesday and our anniversary ale – with additions of raspberries, vanilla beans and cacao nibs, this beer was designed by Hoarders Society member, Paul Moore, and his teammate, Luis Barriga, to embody the ultimate cupcake. It’s the first fruited beer of its kind out of The Bruery, and a fitting release for the first installment in the newly minted Hoarders Cuvée series.

==Introduction==
Exclusively released to Hoarders Society only, unless you can trade for another Hoarders member or there is a special someone that is a huge fan of the site to donate! They basically made a special edition Mélange X (by X I mean some kind of number given to Mélange beers that mix Black Tuesday, Anniversary Ales and other ales or ingredients). I’ll be honest, there would be no way I could get my hands on this unless I buy it in the special online sites or trade. This website has slowly been grabbing a small trend of followers of which I especially admire. They were able to donate this one to me seeing as I love lots of the Bruery beers. As a Reserve member I can only bring so much to the table to help those that look for these beers. So they decided to make some kind of raspberry cupcake beer. It is very interesting as my last home brewing experiments with raspberries lead to a crazy fruity beer about “DRAGONS”. Interesting stuff for sure but this is the first time they release some Hoarders exclusive beer. Seems very special to and one I am happy to have you guys to thank, my readers and fans to provide this one to me. Let’s have a look! Cheers!

Aromas:
Super Rich Raspberry chocolate, cake, oak, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, Banana Split Sundae, pecan pie, fruit cake, hazelnut nectar, sweetened condensed milk, marshmallows, raspberry cheesecake, flan, crème brulee, dark fruit raisins, blackberries, currants, plums, blueberries, red velvet cake, berries and cream, raspberry indulgence candies, Danish cream, dark chocolate, cherry chocolate cordials and Chambord raspberry liqueur.

Flavors:
Super rich berries and cream, Raspberry indulgence candies, red velvet cake, strawberry short cake, raspberry chocolate cup cake, dark fruit raisins, blackberries, currants, plums, blueberries, dragon fruit, passion fruit, raspberry yogurt, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Belgian chocolate, rich Chambord raspberry liqueur, cake icing, raspberry cobbler, cherry cobbler, Danish cream cookies, dulce de leche caramel, marzipan, mazapan, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, banana split sundae, cherry cordials, flan, crème brulee, double chocolate raspberry cake, raspberry cheesecake, vanilla, marshmallows, oak, sweetened condensed milk, campfire smores, raspberry preserves on toasted rye bread, and almond joy ice cream.

Aftertaste:
Finishes in rich raspberry chocolate cake goodness, flan, crème brulee, raspberry sweetened condensed milk, Danish cream cookies, dark fruit, vanilla, cheesecake, raspberry preserves, dark cherry yogurt, fruit cake, bourbon, oak and dulce de leche caramel. Despite the 18.5% ABV, this ends with subtle to no alcohol in the taste. Crazy right? Begins Deep Dark full body but as you sip more of it, it starts to look more like a crimson deep dark body. Smooth, velvety, creamy, syrupy and chewy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A bucket lister in its own damn right. Reminding me in some ways of my own creation, the Raging Passio-Lactus Raspear Dragons but basically missing the chocolate and vanilla and very important, the awesomeness of Black Tuesday and their Anniversary Old Ale. Essentially, my brew is still leagues away in complexity simply due to what I was going for. Nevertheless, the interesting combination of Raspberries, Chocolate and Vanilla are definitely something I plan to focus on. Essentially, this bucket lister gave me more ideas for another home brew. What can I say, when you home brew, you have a bit of knowledge which is power to make similar great beers. Even so, I still help local breweries to share info on them from the site. As far this raspberries chocovanille buttercup goes, I extremely recommend to those who definitely want to seek it. I have tried so many great beers and this is hugely, one of a kind!!!!

Anime Corner:
Yoko Littner from Tengen Toppa Gurren Laggan was previously chosen when I did the review for Cacaonut. She was used in that special Bruery beer but sadly, the beer was short lived due to lactic infections in the beer. Since then I had not used her in another beer pairing. However, seeing as a beer that used raspberry and chocolate as well as vanilla in a Bruery beer, I had to bring her back. Especially since I had done an awesome review with her in my first Raspberry bourbon barrel-aged stout. Although that one did not have chocolate and vanilla and was more about the emphasis on tropical and exotic fruits. As I drank this though, some flavors of the beer did remind me of my home brew, so there was definitely a need to bring her back to the mix. Besides, for a special brew like this, I have to choose some of the best characters.

Aside from the colors of the ingredients like vanilla and raspberry which can be easily seen through her colors, the armored dark dragon knight armor she wears with her holding the fireball represents something important about the name “Hoarders”. Essentially, I think, which may not be true but, if you are a Hoarder (especially Hoarders Society) and feel really awesome about your status, you are represented by unlimited power as shown by Yoko. However, with great power comes great responsibility as Uncle Ben from Spiderman once said to Peter Parker. Essentially, enjoy that society has given you the ability to enjoy something that the few can only understand but do not forget where you came from. Absolute Power can corrupt Absolutely. Love your beer friends, share a beer or whatever you hoard. Let others know you can still be humble. Yoko despite her hardships still knew how to help others and was a selfless character, Hot anime girl appearances aside. Definitely check out Tengen Toppa Gurren Laggan.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/x6kW2EV.jpg
https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/fdb44-digitalartbyyuewang23.jpg
http://move.loveisover.me/foolfuuka/boards/e/image/1437/49/1437496106755.png
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Zm7UfYc9NsE/VicaGg344cI/AAAAAAAAAHE/Z-xggTktIfQ/w800-h800/maid_ritona_render_by_ichigo_mazapan-d510np7.png
http://i.imgur.com/d5lIIqb.jpg
http://orig10.deviantart.net/650b/f/2012/323/3/a/yoko_littner_sexy_outfit_2_by_mactain-d5lh7wt.jpg

N10 Anniversary by Ninkasi brewing

October 6, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Imperial Stout, American Strong Ale, Ami Mizuno, Amy Mizuno, Barleywine, Critical Hit, cuvee, Imperial Maiden the Shade, Imperial Stout, Imperial Total Domination, india pale ale, IPA, Lita Makoto Kito, makoto, Mina Aino, Minako Aino, N10 Anniversary, Ninkasi, Ninkasi Brewing, Raye Hino, Rei Hino, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor moon, Sailor Venus, Serena, Serina Usagi Tsukino | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.25/7

N10 Anniversary by Ninkasi brewing is a 10% ABV American Strong Barrel Aged Hybrid Cuvee / Blend Ale.

Label:
Please See Image Below

==Introduction==

It has been quite some time since I tried a Ninkasi brew. When I first heard that they wanted to release a beer that was essentially a Cuvee of other beers in their profile, I was all for it. I figure this would be a great opportunity to see how it compares to other great Cuvees like Firestone Walker’s Anniversary ales. Essentially, they do the same process, blending different beers to create a special hybrid of a brew that can exceed expectations. This one uses 2 IPAs 2 Stouts and a Barleywine. Almost reminds me of some of the Bruery Melange beers too. So for me, that is awesome enough to bring it to the website. Let’s take a look at this monstrosity of a beer, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit currants, raisins, prunes, blackberries, raspberries, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate milk shake, bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel, smokey campfire, marshmallow smores, chocolate mousse, bananas, clove spice, almonds, rocky road ice cream honey, rye bread, leather, tobacco, tropical fruit mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, strawberries, kiwis, papaya hints, guava, anise and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate milk shake, bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel, smokey campfire, marshmallow smores, chocolate mousse, cookies and cream, oatmeal cookies, citrus, grapefruit, herbal, super dank piney, grassy and earthy hops, dark fruit currants, raisins, prunes, blackberries, raspberries, mild toasted coconut, tropical fruit mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, strawberries, kiwis, papaya hints, guava, anise, molasses, rock candy, candy sugar, Stone fruit apricot, peaches, plums, red velvet cake, chocolate oranges, coffee cake, Irish cream, port wine, bananas, clove spice, almonds, rocky road ice cream honey, rye bread, leather and tobacco.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with lots of hoppy and malt forward flavors such as chocolate, caramel, earthy, citrus, dank grassy hops, dark fruit, tropical fruit, stone fruit, bourbon, marshmallows. Grapefruits, caramel and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, Dark full body, creamy, silky crisp, refreshing and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Above exceptional! Granted, I do love certain versions of the FW beers, this one deserves to be up there as well. There was so much complexity in this one where you know it has stout and IPA characters blend so well. Some aspects remind me of the Jewbelation brews from Schmaltz brewing which uses several different types of malts and hops. It seems some American Strong beers do use that method but the blending of different beers is altogether very different and if you love American Strong ales, you will find the difference in this one. It’s awesome! I highly recommend it.

Anime Corner:
The 5 Sailor Scouts, Serena/Usagi Tsukino, Amy/Ami Mizuno, Raye/Rei Hino, Lita/Makoto Kito, Mina/Minako Aino from Sailor Moon were used in this pairing to go with the different colors of the ingredients, flavors holographic labels and the 5 beers that were used to blend this brew. Rei is the Stout, Mina is the Barrel Aged stout, Lita the Total Domination IPA, Amy the Maiden the Shade and Serena the Critical Hit. All the colors and complexity were what I was going for when I decided to go with team Sailor Moon.

Sources:
http://i.imgbox.com/FKN2Dzst.jpg
http://i99.beon.ru/static.zerochan.net/Bishoujo.Senshi.Sailor.Moon.full.1746357.jpg

Mélange 15 by The Bruery

October 5, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, Barleywine, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged, cacao nibs, Claire Farron, cuvee, FFXIII, Final Fantasy XIII, Imperial Stout, Lactose, Lightning, MASH, Mélange 15, Melange, pecan pie, The Bruery, vanilla beans, walnuts | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Mélange 15 by The Bruery is is a 14.8% ABV American Strong Ale Cuvee blend of an Imperial Stout (Black Tuesday) Barleywine (Mash) and old ale (Anniversary Ale) brewed with lactose, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, walnuts and aged in Bourbon barrels.

Label:
Nuts & BBLS

We play with nuts and BBLs in this winning blend of barrel-aged beers. Designed to mimic the flavors of rocky road, this mélange took top place in our 2016 staff blending competition.

Our Mélange series is a playground for exploring flavors that cannot be achieved outside of the art of the blend or by any one beer. We had a particularly good time playing with nuts and BBLs in this winning blend of barrel-aged beers from our 2016 staff blending competition. Fueled by cheeseburgers and inspired by rocky road, we folded walnuts, cacao nibs from TCHO and vanilla into rich, bourbon barrel-aged barleywine and old ale to mimic the flavors of the rich, nutty dessert. Lactose was added to impart a marshmallow character and an extra creamy mouthfeel. We’re pretty nuts about it, and we think you will be too.

==Introduction==

Released to the public and all societies, this the first time since Mélange 3, that a Mélange series beer is released outside of the societies. What an awesome release at that. Knowing the Mélange series pretty well, they are some of the best beers the Bruery has ever released. With this one being liquid Rocky Road Ice Cream in a bottle, I can only say that this is going to be gold. How can I say that without trying it? Well, my track record for reviewing these Mélange beers has shown that they keep pushing the bar with every release and I can only push so far up the bucket list. Yes, indeed, even before I review this one, I can safely say, it is going to be a bucket lister. The best part, now the public can get their hands on as many bottles as they can. Let’s delve into this shall we? Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Chocolate Milk Shake, German chocolate, Belgian chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker smores, toasted coconut, rich rocky road ice cream, rich walnuts, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, macadamia nuts, nutter butter cookies, rich nutella spread on toasted rye bread, prailine ice cream, dark fruit raisins, figs, dark cherries, currants, blackberries, figs, plums, mocha, coffee, Khalua liqueur, almond liquer, Chambord raspberry liqueur, bananas, clove spice, cookie dough ice cream, Tres Leches/3 Milks cream, sweetened condensed milk, Danish cream, flan, and crème brulee

Flavors:
Super rich rocky road ice cream, rich walnuts, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, macadamia nuts, nutter butter cookies, rich nutella spread on toasted rye bread, prailine ice cream, mocha, coffee, Khalua liqueur, almond liquer, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Chocolate Milk Shake, German chocolate, Belgian chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker smores, toasted coconut, cotton candy, almond joy ice cream, salted caramel, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, dark fruit raisins, figs, dark cherries, currants, blackberries, figs, plums, Tres Leches/3 Milks cream, sweetened condensed milk, Danish cream, flan, crème brulee, molasses, anise, grilled bananas, clove spice, cookie dough ice cream, rocky road cheesecake and Chambord raspberry liqueur.

Aftertaste:
Lots of Rich chococaramellow nuts and Nutella remain, walnuts, dark chocolate, marshmallows, dark fruits, Danish cream, flan, bananas, clove spice, smores and sweetened condensed milk over rocky road ice cream. No alcohol in the taste despite the high ABV. Dark Crimson medium to full body, smooth, creamy, chewy, syrupy and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Definitely without question, this is a major bucket lister. Since Mélange 12, I have not seen any other one top it and I honestly thing this one definitely tops that one even though the 12th was my favorite followed by the 3rd. This one just speak volumes and volumes. Like pieces of the best Black Tuesday variants like Chocolate Rain and Grey Monday are here. If you have a self-indulgence, guilty pleasure or a problem when it comes to something like Nutella or Rocky Road Ice Cream, this beer may be your devil’s water. But you know, you really have to take it all in sometimes and enjoy yourself once and awhile. Go get this bottle barrel aged and dessert beer lovers. Do it before it is gone!! You will not regret it!!!

Anime Corner:
Claire “Lightning” Farron from Final Fantasy XIII was used in this pairing to mainly go with the rich flavors of the beer although some of her colors do match with the colors of the beer. It has been a long time coming and I wanted to use Lightning in a Bruery beer but deciding which one was definitely the challenge. I wanted to choose a special occasion for a worthy beer pairing and now that I have seen what this is capable of, I set my eyes on her for this beer. A bad ass beer definitely deserves a bad ass character and art pairing.

Sources:
https://cdn.luscious.net/images/slywalker_96/457/lusciousnet_lusciousnet_1437152598845_1294766462.jpg
http://i99.beon.ru/s017.radikal.ru/i437/1507/fe/5fb4ecd4d9d3.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CJ3_R8dUsAARpT1.jpg:large

2016 Mash & Vanilla by The Bruery

October 5, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Alia, Barleywine, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Capcom, MASH, Mash & Vanilla, Megaman X, The Bruery, vanilla, vanilla beans, VANILLOAK | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Mash & Vanilla by The Bruery is a 13.3% ABV Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels with Vanilla Beans.

Label:
VANILLOAK

We took our classic release, already oaky, sticky and sweet from extensive bourbon barrel-aging, and amplified that barrel character with the addition of vanilla.

This is our classic bourbon barrel-aged barleywine – kicked up a notch. We took Mash, already oaky, sticky and sweet, and amplified its barrel character with the addition of fresh vanilla beans. This vanilla prominence is complemented by the woody bourbon flavors and coconut notes that are imparted to the beer as part of its extensive maturation in oak bourbon barrels.

==Introduction==

Released to the public, this beer uses their base Barleywine in bourbon barrels which I have tried different variants of. So far, the best one of the variants was the Mash and Coconut. The other one, Mash and Coffee was awesome too. This time around, we have the vanilla version. Vanilla beers in general are awesome! In fact, when making strong vanilla beers, they typically have flavors of all sorts of sweets like sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee or flan. Essentially, when I think of the Bruery making beers with vanilla, like the White Chocolate, you know it’s gonna be awesome. Let’s see how this is.

Aromas:
Dark fruit figs, prunes, raisins, marshmallows smores, bourbon, oak, fruit cake, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, vanilla, flan, sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche caramel, crème brulee, Jericalla Mexican custard, banana cream pie, grilled bananas, clove spice, toffee, capirotada raisin bread pudding, rye bread, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, plantains, almond joy notes, oatmeal cookies, stone fruit plums, peach hints, brownies and cookie dough ice cream.

Flavors:
Rich Vanilla, Flan, sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche caramel, crème brulee, Jericalla Mexican custard, banana cream pie, grilled bananas, clove spice, toffee, dark fruit figs, prunes, raisins, marshmallows smores, bourbon, oak, fruit cake, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, macadamia nuts, hazelnut nectar, maple notes, cinnamon, capirotada raisin bread pudding, rye bread, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, plantains, almond joy notes, oatmeal cookies, stone fruit plums, peach hints, brownies, cookie dough ice cream, Danish cream, cheese cake, chocolate cherry cordials and chocoflan.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with smooth vanilla, Cheesecake hints, bourbon, toffee, caramel, dark fruit, oak, flan, Jericalla custard and crème brulee. No alcohol in the taste, medium to full deep brown crimson body, syrupy, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Damn exceptional! While I agree that I lean more towards the Mash & Coconut, this is definitely at the league or above the Mash & Coffee. So much dark fruit and flan flavors it ridiculous. This is the kind of beer that, especially since it was released to the public, you want to get several bottles of. Some to enjoy whenever and some to just cellar to see how it will do in 5, 10 or even 15 years from now. A high recommendation on this one.

Anime Corner:
Alia and Megaman X by Capcom was used in this pairing because I wanted to use her and X in a Bruery pairing and I think the colors of them fit well with beer’s label, ingredients and flavors. X would be like the original Mash and Alia by his side is the vanilla. I definitely like to go all out with the different possible pictures to pair well with the characters I choose.

Sources:
http://keichan411.deviantart.com/art/Aya-Commission-290959370
http://orig01.deviantart.net/0996/f/2007/282/b/f/bfa4cbe2d9101c4c.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d4/a3/c3/d4a3c3c667c665333f92bd364be6a530.jpg
http://img10.deviantart.net/a37a/i/2008/256/7/7/maverick_hunter_alia_by_louisblack78.jpg

2016 Quingenti Millimitre series Batch No. 1 OAKMEAL Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels by Stone brewing

October 5, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 12th anniversary, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stou, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chocolate, Darkstalkers, Hsien-ko, Kentucky Bourbon, lei-lei, OAKMEAL, Oatmeal Stout, Quingenti Millilitre Series, Stone Brewing, Vampire Hunter, Vampire Savior | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Quingenti Millimitre series Batch No. 1 OAKMEAL Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels by Stone brewing is an 11.4% ABV Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Brewed December 5, 2015
Originally inspired by recipes of two Team Stone members, Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout became an instant classic. The onyx-hued beer also proved to be an ideal barrel-aging specimen, thanks to its rich, thick mouthfeel and chocolate-heavy flavors and aromatics.

INTHEMASH: Pale, Caramel, Dextrine, Black and Chocolate Malts, Roasted Barley & Flaked Oats
IN THE BOIL Summit Williamette, Galena and Ahtanum Hops & Chocolate-heavy

UNFILTERED AND AGED
7 Months in American Oak Kentucky Bourbon Barrels

IBU: 43 ALC/VOL 11.4% Bottled July 2016

CELLAR NOTES
An already magnificent beer’s mouthwatering recipe of unsweetened chocolate, flaked oats and dark-roasted malts is made even more deliciously complex care of oak barrels that previously nurtured bourbon. These amazing vessels impart oak and coconut-like flavors upfront while accentuating the silky smooth midpalate with oak vanillin notes. The finish is long and intense, with layers of chocolate and oak vanillin. You might be tempted to lick the glass for every last drop of this delectable adult confection.

==Introduction==

It has been a while since I had some of the beers from Stone’s Quingenti Millimitre series and this one I could not pass up. Especially, since it was available in local and online stores. Essentially, they take their 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, which I tried several months back at my friend Richard’s house, and then they age it. The original beer was delicious but the fact that they barrel aged it was something I just thought is amazing. I think almost every beer that I have tried barrel aged is definitely leagues above the original beer. Not always, but it is common for it to happen. Let’s see what this one has to offer, cheers!

Aromas:
Marshmallows, chocolate smores, oak, whiskey, bourbon, toasted coconut, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, oreo cookies, Danish cream, cookie dough ice cream, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, flan, pecan pie, piloncillo sugar cone, grilled bananas, capirotada raisin bread pudding, hazelnut nectar, ferrero rocher Chocolate, roasted coffee, mocha, molasses, tobacco, leather, anise, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian chocolates and Mexican Chocolate.

Flavors:
Rich dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian chocolates, Mexican Chocolate, marshmallows, chocolate smores, oak, whiskey, bourbon, toasted coconut, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, oreo cookies, Danish cream, cookie dough ice cream, earthy hop hints, dark fruit raisins, prunes, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, flan, pecan pie, piloncillo sugar cone, grilled bananas, capirotada raisin bread pudding, hazelnut nectar, molasses, tobacco, leather, anise, ferrero rocher Chocolate, roasted coffee and mocha.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich oak Bourbon soaked dark fruit chocolate chip raisins oatmeal cookies on whipped cream and earthy and vanilla ice cream. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV or the oak bourbon notes, pitch black dark full body, smooth, creamy, chewy, and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional and supremely delicious liquid chocolate cookie in a bottle. This beer so much cookie goodness that it reminded me of the Velvet Merkin from Firestone Walker. So much smoothness and chocolate, it’ll blow your mind. I almost wish they sold this one on tap and growler fill as 500ml is not enough for this one. Definitely need to try this again but for the price I think it is worth having once. I highly recommend this brew to those that love barrel aged beers and chocolatey goodness.

Anime Corner:
Lei Lei Hsien-Ko from Darkstalkers was used in this pairing because I wanted to use her in a beer. It has been a very long time and I think she fits with this beer as well as a spirit lies in the oak that used to contain a bigger amount of a spirit. By spirit I mean bourbon. There really isn’t much to say other than how the colors can compare to the complex flavors or how sweet and innocent she looks like the sweetness contained in this bottle.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/rLjZhPB.jpg
http://k34.kn3.net/taringa/4/F/B/F/B/8/JoCYoG/AB8.jpg

The Dark Ages Barrel Series Imperial Stout by Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co.

October 5, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barrel Series, Bourbon Barrel Aged, cognac, Cognac Barrels, Dark Saber, Fate Stay Night, Imperial Stout, Kentucky Bourbon, Saber, Saber Alter/Dark, Tahoe Mountain Brewing, The Dark Ages | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/6

The Dark Ages Barrel Series Imperial Stout by Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. is a 10% ABV Imperial stout aged in Kentucky Bourbon and Cognac Barrels.

Label:
Aging Imperial Stout in both Kentucky Bourbon and Cognac Barrels brings complex flavors and a rich oak character to this big beer made with a variety of roasted malts.

==Introduction==

This is first brew that I try brew from Tahoe Mountain brewing. I always feel that some time digging into the stronger beers from a brewery can say a lot about how complex and awesome a brewery can be. It may not say much about how great the brewery is, just how well they can make the type of beers that I like. This one was a very intriguing beer as it was aged in both Bourbon and Cognac. Essentially, a double barrel aged brew. Sometimes, double, triple or even quadruple barrel aging takes beers to whole new levels to where a beer has never been to before. This is a definite must for the site, let’s take a look, cheers!

Aromas:
German chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, tobacco, leather, dark candi sugar, dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, dark cherries, currant yogurt, pomegranates, almond joy chocolate, anise, licorice, wine grapes, juniper berries, pecan pie, piloncillo sugar cone, marshmallows, chocolate smores, molasses, smokey oak, hazelnut nectar, sherry, raspberries, port wine notes, grilled plantains, bananas, clove spice, roasted coffee notes and mocha.

Flavors:
Rich Barrel Oak, bourbon, whiskey, cognac, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, dark cherries, grilled plantains, bananas, clove spice, roasted coffee notes, mocha, burnt marshmallows, chocolate smores, molasses, smokey oak, hazelnut nectar, sherry, raspberries, port wine notes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, tobacco, leather, dark candi sugar, currant yogurt, pomegranates, almond joy chocolate, anise, licorice, wine grapes, juniper berries, pecan pie and piloncillo sugar cone.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with nice notes of oak, bourbon, oak dark chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla, roasted coffee, port wine and tobacco hints. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark full body, smooth, creamy and chewy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional brew almost taking it to the level of exceptional perfection. The lower score has to do with a slight unbalance in the flavors but overall, the complexity is way above perfect. There is so much going on here and it is super solid. These dark age beers are definitely something to try out and definitely highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Dark Saber from Fate Stay Night was used in this beer to go with the dark ages aspect as well as dark knight armor and helmet as shown in the label. The colors she represents are just some of the complex color and flavor pairings of the beer.

Sources:
http://niji-moe.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/fate-saber-01-16.jpg

Mélange 14 by the Bruery

September 17, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged, cuvee, Imperial Stout, MASH, Mélange 14, Share This Coffee, T-elos, The Bruery, Xenosaga | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Mélange 14 by the Bruery is a 13.4% ABV American Strong Ale/Cuvee composing 85% ale aged in Bourbon Barrels with 15% Imperial Stout.

Label:
ONE FOUR ALL

This fusion puts the spotlight on the art of the blend and bourbon barrel-aged beer, with rich complex notes and signature kiss of oak.

Our Mélange series is a chance to roll out the barrels, roll up our sleeves and explore flavors that cannot be achieved outside of the art of the blend or by any one beer. French for “blend”, this mélange fuses the mature character of some of our most vintage barrels of barleywine and old ale with the dark depth of our imperial stouts, including both Tuesday-themed releases and Share This.

==Introduction==

Mélange 14 was not only released to the different societies at the Bruery but also the public. With the release of Share This: Coffee, they created a variant that was blended with that beer, Black Tuesday as well as other beer which I believe are the Mash and their Anniversary series. The Mélange series has always been a personal favorite of mine since Mélange 3 and Mélange 12. Those beers have been a category of their own. While I did enjoy Share This: Coffee, I can only imagine into what depths this one will go. Let’s dig this rabbit hole, Cheers!

Aromas:
Roasted coffee, Mocha, fancy coffee, espresso, dark fruit raisins, figs, dates, prunes, plums, dark cherries, currants, rocky road ice cream, Belgian chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, almond joy chocolate, oak bourbon, hazelnut, walnuts, Cadburry cream eggs, rock candy, fruit cake, licorice, mint chocolate chip, cocada Mexican coconut candy, wine grapes, waffle cone, port wine, rum hints, walnut cake, coffee cake, tres leche/ three milk cream cake, double chocolate fudge cake, brown sugar and dulce de leche caramel.

Flavors:
Super duper mocha, Jamoca ice cream, rocky road ice cream, Belgian chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, almond joy chocolate, oak bourbon, hazelnut, walnuts, Cadburry cream eggs, dark fruit raisins, figs, dates, prunes, plums, dark cherries, currants, cocada Mexican coconut candy, wine grapes, waffle cone, port wine, rum hints, walnut cake, coffee cake, tres leche/ three milk cream cake, double chocolate fudge cake, fancy coffee, marshmallows, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, leather, tobacco, molasses, dark candy sugar, burnt sugar, rock candy, fruit cake, licorice and mint chocolate chip.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich caramel, vanilla, steamed milk, mocha, dark fruit, bourbon, marshmallows, Cadbury cream eggs and coconut candy. No alcohol in the taste, Dark yet Crimson Full body, sipping drinkability and Silky, creamy, syrupy, smooth, velvety mouthfeel.

Overall:
Definitely, let it warm up to unleash its true potential. An exceptional beer that I would take over Share This: Coffee although, Share This: Coffee has its own merits. Both beers are available to the public but you can’t really compare both as they are entirely different beer. This one is so damn coffee and complex flavor rich that I definitely highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
T-elos from Xenosaga was used in this pairing as I wanted to connect Black Tuesday, which is represented by KOS-MOS in another pairing, to T-elos who is another version of KOS-MOS, essentially, her evil sister. The addition of Share This: Coffee complements T-elos in her dark appearance because she also looks like Muramasa who I used in Share This: Coffee, however, T-elos actually more powerful. Thus, representing the complexity and ABV of this beer. The colors of the label also help the pairing work with her too.

Sources:
http://blog-imgs-47.fc2.com/s/e/i/seiroganmania/473fecc5.jpg
http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/xenosaga-t-elos-hijiri-Anime-Pussy-2861824.jpeg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpPT-SdCYAANbga.jpg

2016 Chronology:12 Wee Heavy by the Bruery

September 17, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chronology:12, Darkstalkers, felicia, Scotch Ale, The Bruery, Vampire Hunter, Vampire Savior, Wee Heavy | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Chronology:12 Wee Heavy by the Bruery is a 14.1% ABV Wee Heavy/Scotch Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Scotchology
This wee heavy ale aged in bourbon barrels is the second in a chronologically aged series released at six-month intervals to chart the evolution of barrel-aged character over time.

We brewed a wee heavy – known for rich, malt-forward flavors – and set it to age in bourbon barrels. Every six months, we’ll take a quarter of the barrels, blend them and bottle them. This second bottling from our Chronology Series represents the nuances imparted to the base beer after twelve months of barrel aging.

==Introduction==

Released to the Reserve and Hoarders, this is the next 6 month release of the Chronology Wee Heavy series. After a whole 12 months of aging, the next brew is released. For being the first time The Bruery releases a Wee Heavy beer and places it in its Chronology series is awesome as the Wee Heavy style is somewhat uncommon. It is a personal favorite of mine. Let’s take look and see how this beer has fared for the last 12 months, Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit prunes, grapes, plums, currants, blackberries, blueberries, Oak, Vanilla, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, smoked peat, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, rye bread, bananas, plantains, clove spice, crème brulee, flan, cinnamon, fruit cake, scotch whiskey, toffee, capirotada raisin bread, Almond Joy chocolate and marzipan.

Flavors:
Rich Oak, Vanilla, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, marshmallows, chocolate smores, Almond Joy chocolate, marzipan, smoked peat, dark fruit prunes, grapes, plums, currants, blackberries, blueberries, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, rye bread, blueberry cheesecake, Blackberry cobbler, pecan pie, nutmeg, maple, all spice, dates, anise, licorice, molasses, dark cherries, grilled bananas, plantains, clove spice, crème brulee, flan, cinnamon, fruit cake, scotch whiskey, toffee, capirotada raisin bread and port wine.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with richer dark fruits, oak, dates, anise, bourbon, toasted coconut, bananas, caramel, pecan pie, and hazelnut nectar. Slight alcohol in the taste. Dark brown full body, smooth, creamy and chewy mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptionally awesome brew. As with many of these Bruery beers, age does wonders. The aging of the wee heavy for another 12 months has given this one a more dark fruit forward flavor along with the vanilla, banana and coconut hints. I definitely want to see more of this one as it develops more in the future and would recommend this one highly to those that love strong Wee Heavys

Anime Corner:
Felicia from Darkstalker/Vampire Saviour was used in this pairing for the reasons that I have not used her in any Bruery beer thus far and is one that is perfect with the colors of the label for the beer. Also the racing part is an analogy for how time speeds by and before you know it, BAM. That and Cats have 9 lives so would time even matter. I figured it was an interesting concept as to why use her in this pairing.

Sources:
http://orig05.deviantart.net/368d/f/2009/174/7/5/7522b95baa6cae1f8fadcdc568feaf32.jpg
http://blog-imgs-60.fc2.com/j/i/n/jingaidaisuki/78be039622ed_13AAC69F_061_thumb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IW7Id.jpg

2016 Dodie by The Bruery

September 13, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, bourbon, cherries, Disney, Dodie, Grape must, Jessica Rabbit, orange zest, Spices, The Bruery, Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Dodie by The Bruery is an 11.7% ABV American Strong Ale aged in bourbon barrels with grape must, cherries, orange zest and spices.

Label:
HOTSY TOTSY

Dodie is inspired by a classic New York concoction and shares a nickname with Grandma Rue, who was keen on the ritzy drink.

It’s time to dip the ill with Dodie. With no giggle juice on its rap sheet, it’s a dandy recreation of the profile of a classic Manhattan cocktail – from the grain (rye, wheat and barley), bourbon barrel -aged character, and blend of 20+ spices and grape must for bitters-eque and vermouth-like notes. Fancy a garnish? Cherries and orange zest come out as your kisser hits the glass.
==Introduction==

Released to the Bruery Reserve Society. I didn’t think too much about this beer at first since I had no idea what it is about and yet the Bruery always surprises with their full on experimentations. Once I saw what it was I was definitely intrigued. A beer based on a mixed drink. Reminded me of the L’deracola (Cola flavored beer) or the El Roble (Margarita based beer). They always come up with great beers and definitely are an inspiration to homebrewing. It is because of their willingness to experiment that I have taken it upon myself to make my own experimentations. Let’s have a look at this one though and see what it has to offer, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit fruit raisins, prunes, plums, figs, dates, dark cherries, capirotada bread pudding, brown sugar, wine grapes, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, orange zest, coriander, bananas, clove spice, coconut, chocolate orange creamsicle, cherry cordials, cherry cobbler, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, English toffee, Danish Cream, brown sugar, marshmallows, smores chocolate, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, cinnamon, fruit cake, allspice, nutmeg, chai tea and coffee cake.

Flavors:
Bananas, clove spice, coconut, Rich dark cherries, orange zest, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, wine grapes, dark fruit raisins, prunes, plums, figs, dates, coriander, ginger bread, cinnamon, fruit cake, allspice, nutmeg, chai tea, green tea ice cream, dark chocolate, marshmallows, smores chocolate, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, chocolate orange creamsicle, cherry cordials, cherry cobbler, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, English toffee, Danish Cream, Dr. pepper notes, cherry cola, mocha, molasses, anise, mint, licorice, tangerines, coffee cake, capirotada bread pudding, and lots of brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich flavors of dark fruits, cherries, oranges, pecan pie, oak, marshmallow, bananas clove spice, vanilla and caramel. No alcohol in the taste, Blood Crimson clear body, smooth, creamy and velvety body along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Exceptionally awesome. I have had different mix drinks in the past and while I still have yet to try a Manhattan, this is pretty damn delicious. Almost as if it was what they were going for. Either way, it was enough for me to try to seek this one again. Spicy rich, fruity, citrucy and nutty, this one a highly recommended brew from me.

Anime Corner:
Jessica Rabbit from Disney’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit was chosen for this beer for many aspects such as beer color, label and theme. Essentially, this beer was made to mimic the Manhattan cocktail drink. As such, Jessica wears a cocktail dress and the movie, while it took place in Los Angeles, the theme seems very similar to New York in the 1920’s. While her character comes off as seductive like the flavors of the beer, the strength of the beer mimics her sense of justice to help Roger out in the movie. A childhood classic, now tribute with a brew.

Sources:
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/980/555/aa7.jpg
http://yayahan.com/images/made/uploads/images/jessica_600_866_s.jpg
http://cs323416.vk.me/v323416272/62b8/kKMVMto_-YA.jpg

Chronology:24 by The Bruery

September 13, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Battle Vixens, bourbon barrels, chronolo:24, English Old Ale, ikki Tousen, shiryuu Chou-un, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.5/7

Chronology:24 by The Bruery is a 17% ABV English Old Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels for 24 months.

Label:
TICK TOCK
24 months Oak Aged Ale
This fourth and final installment in our chronologically-aged series of English-style old ale. We’ve released this beer at six month intervals over the last 24 months. Its time is now at an end.

Our Chronology series is an experiment with time. A single beer will be aged in bourbon barrels and be released 6, 12, 18 and 24 month periods. Delicious while fresh, but existing to taste side by side upon each subsequent released as time moves forward.

==Introduction==

Just when I thought the end of the original Chronology series (Old Ale) was complete, the Bruery released the last installment to the Reserve Society to 2016 and 2015 members. This beer has been aging for 2 years and typically with big brews, develops characters so complex, it is like you a drinking a blend of fancy desserts. Craft beer, the adult version of ice cream! Let’s see where this goes, cheers!

Aromas:
Cadbury cream eggs, vanilla, Dark fruit cherries, raspberries, prunes, plums, figs, currants, stone fruit peach cobbler, Danish cream, honey, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut, Coconut macaroons, cookie dough ice cream, maple syrup, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate mousse, Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake, Chocolate Turtles, Walnut, hazelnut and pecan pie, piloncillo sugar cone, flan, dulce de leche caramel, oak, bourbon, Jericalla/Mexican custard, sangria notes, bananas, plantains, clove spice, English toffee, crème brulee and sweetened condensed milk.

Flavors:
Cadbury cream eggs, Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake, Chocolate Turtles, Walnut, hazelnut and pecan pie, piloncillo sugar cone, flan, dulce de leche caramel, oak, bourbon, Jericalla/Mexican custard, dark fruit cherries, raspberries, prunes, plums, figs, currants, stone fruit peach cobbler, Danish cream, honey, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut, Coconut macaroons, cookie dough ice cream, maple syrup, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate mousse, capirotada bread pudding, sherry, raspberry chambord, peanut butter, Belgian waffles, dark candi sugar, English toffee, crème brulee, sweetened condensed milk, sangria notes, bananas, plantains, clove spice and port wine.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with Cadbury cream eggs, dark fruit, stone fruit, rich pecan pie, bananas, stone fruit, bourbon, piloncillo sugar cone, caramel chocolate cheesecake, coconut, oak, earthy notes, marshmallows and rocky road ice cream. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV as it has developed like a fine wine. Dark crimson full body, creamy, smooth, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel.

Overall:
Above Exceptional and close to a bucket lister. Age has really done wonders far more than the 18 month one. The Cadburry chocolate cream egg, pecan pie and bananas are way stronger in this one and even more mind blown. This one would definitely be good to age for many more years to see what one day it would be like. Highly recommended for those that love the strong beers!

Anime Corner:
Chou’un Shiryuu from Ikki Tousen/Battle Vixens was chosen in this pairing as the final character to go with the theme of the beer. For the longest time I have been using characters that associate with time itself but also with the colors of the label. This time I mainly went for the colors but the bad assery that this character is as she is a powerful character in the series.

Sources:
http://www.dogame.com.cn/bbs/attachments/day_130116/130116141561b33ff25fd5c999.jpg
http://static.zerochan.net/Chou’un.Shiryuu.full.1856276.jpg
http://pm1.narvii.com/5920/a51cfe446476167b9c3e7872e499bc2bd3cb187a_hq.jpg

2013 Vintage Oak Barrel Aged Santa’s Little Helper by Port Brewing

July 1, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 2013 Vintage, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Full Metal Daemon, Imperial Stout, Jack and Daxter, Keira Hagai, Muramasa, Oak aged Santa's Little Helper, Port Brewing, Sandaime Muramasa, Santa’s Little Helper | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2013 Vintage Oak Barrel Aged Santa’s Little Helper by Port Brewing is a 12% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:

Everyone knows that Santa delivers toys and gifts to little girls and boys each Christmas Eve. But what does he do with the sleigh the other 364 days a year? Well rumor has it he hitches up the reindeer each July testing driving to ensure it’s still in operating condition. At the North Pole they mark their calendars calling it Christmas in July.

How do we know that? Well, Virginia, each year Santa stops by Port Brewing to load up his sleigh with beer for his return trip to the North Pole. He’s a big fan of Santa’s Little Helper, and for the last nine months our brewers have been extra naughty aging some in bourbon barrels. Hopefully Santa won’t drink it all by himself, but we wouldn’t blame him if he did.

==Introduction==

Aged for 3 years, this beer has been a staple and a favorite of mind since I first started trying different craft beers and one of the ones that really started getting me into trying different barrel aged beers. They stopped making this beer for a while but was recently released once again but in smaller bottles. So to my surprise, I was able to find this still at the local Downey Liquor in Downey California. This beer was first bottled in 22 ounce bottles and was bourbon barrel aged. Now a days, they sell the same beer for the same price ($15-16) but a 350ml bottle. Considering I was able to find more of these, I refuse to pay for the smaller bottles. The decision for Port Brewing to sell in smaller bottles for the same price is quite irritating especially for such an amazing beer. I would understand them lowering the price if they wanted smaller bottles but it is pretty ridiculous now a days. Anyways, it has been 3 years and I definitely want to see how this beer has progressed. Cheers!

Aromas:

Rich oak, vanilla, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, vinous dark fruits like raisins, plums, currants, black berries, dark cherries, figs, fruit cake, almond, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, cinnamon, ginger bread cookies, cookie dough ice cream, cookies and cream, oatmeal chocolate cookies, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut, stone fruit hints, wine grapes, crème brulee and mango.

Flavors:

Rich vinous oak, vanilla, port wine, bourbon, roasted coffee, Kahlua Liqueur, flan hints, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut, figgy pudding, dark fruit raisins, plums, currants, black berries, dark cherries, marshmallow smores, fruit cake, almond, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, cinnamon, ginger bread cookies, cookie dough ice cream, cookies and cream, oatmeal chocolate cookies, tobacco, leather, dulce de leche caramel, wine grapes, sweetenend condensed milk hints, crème brulee hints, raspberry chambord hints, stone fruit peach notes, dragon fruit and mild mango.

Aftertaste:

Finishing with port wine notes, dark chocolate, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruits, flan, fruit cake and figgy pudding. No alcohol in the taste, deep dark abyss full body, smooth, silky, rich and chewy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:

A bucket list beer, especially since this one being the original when they used to sell in 22 ounces. Now a days they sell this in 375ml bottles for the same price as this one which I don’t know about. I have tried it a while back on tap and it was as good as I remembered this one. Essentially, it is the same beer as I remember before. However, this 3 year aged one for being the oldest one and the bigger bottle, a definite find is in order for you beer lovers. The beer has turned into a more vinous delight complementing the chocolate complexity along with the development of raisinettes in bourbon and rich fruit cake and figgy pudding servings. A true Christmas beer, you can have in June, July or any time of the year.

Anime Corner:

Keira Hagai from Jack and Daxter and Sansei Muramasa from Full Metal Daemon were used in this for the overall Christmas theme. I have used Keira in the past as she was to represent the colors of Christmas but she also has Daxter on her arm to represent Santa’s Little Helper. This time around, Sansei was brought in to be the Santa’s little helper as she has the reindeer antlers but also represents how the beer has essentially aged well.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/mzFNb8g.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A_AVy60uC3o/Vnu7G89nQoI/AAAAAAAAevk/SeQQpvh-i4E/w680-h950/44bb308344fb77b3e2d48a49b3b316a0.png

http://i.imgbox.com/kWJHE1kJ.jpg

2016 Bastard’s Midnight Brunch by Stone Brewing

June 30, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, arrogant bastard, Bastard's Midnight Brunch, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Depth-Charged Double Bastard, Disgaea, Double Bastard, Etna, Kentucky Bourbon, Maple Syrup, Maple Syrup Barrels, Northeast Ohio Maple Syrup Barrels, Stone Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2016 Bastard’s Midnight Brunch by Stone Brewing is a 12.7% ABV American Strong Ale consisting of Depth-Charged Double Bastard aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels & Northeast Ohio Maple Syrup Barrels.

Label:

BASTARD’S MIDNIGHT BRUNCH

DEPTH-CHARGED DOUBLE BASTARD ALE AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS & MAPLE SYRUP BARRELS

AN UNRESTRAINED, COFFEE-FUELED FEAST

Evenings trying to forget the crushing mediocrity of one’s life are typically the main driver to late-night breakfast plates at unforgivingly overlit diners stacked with industrialized, frozen-dumped-in-a-fryer “food.” An interlude between sophomoric late-night antics, questionable decisions and inevitable morning regret. That’s not how I play it. For those who know how to grab life by the horns*, however, this bottle pairs even better with accomplishment, life lived out loud, and well-timed moves that often appear as luck to those not paying attention. A specifically designed midnight brunch feast with like-minded folks who not only have their wits about them but actually have wits, and an artfully prepared feast sets the more appropriate stage for this beer. The bottle is worth a special occasion. Create yours to accompany it.

*Touch mine, though, and I’ll provide you with the deepest possible understanding of the word “regret.”

Drawn Off Unfiltered

Aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels & Northeast Ohio Maple Syrup Barrels

==Introduction==

After several temptations, I decided to pick this up. At first, I did not want to get it since it was pricey but also since I felt that I have had plenty of good Arrogant Bastard variant reviews in. So when saw it was the barrel aged version of Depth Charged Double Bastard with maple, I fought myself and my wallet was hurt. Either way, I would like to see if this brew was well worth the price. Arrogant bastard has always been one of the best beers I have had since the beginning. Since the time I have had Double Bastard, stuff just started to grow from there and things never went back. I love everything about the series. I just haven’t had a chance to keep up with all my reviews. However, when Depth Charged kicked in, I was in love. Now with this in my possession, I can only hope that it will grow from here. Let’s take a look, cheers!

Aromas:

Dulce de leche caramel, marshmallow smores, oak, bourbon, maple syrup, vanilla, butterscotch, toffee, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, Kahlua Liqueur, citrus notes, grapefruit, piney and grassy hop notes, toasted rye bread, dark fruit raisins, dates, figs, dark cherries, blackberries, roasted barley, flan, caramelized dragon fruit, hazelnut nectar, crème brulee, old oranges, mild chili pepper notes, coffee cake, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers chocolate, chocolate mousse, fancy coffee, roasted coffee, espresso, mocha and cinnamon hints.

Flavors:

Rich maple syrup, butterscotch, vanilla, toffee, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallow smores, oak, bourbon, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers chocolate, chocolate mousse, fancy coffee, roasted coffee, espresso, mocha, java, jamoca, Kahlua Liqueur, rich citrus, grapefruit, piney, grassy, foresty, herbal and earthy hops, tropical fruit mango, Rich toasted rye bread with mixed dark fruit preserves such as raisins, dates, figs, dark cherries, blackberries, roasted barley, flan, sweetened condensed milk, English Fig Pudding, roasted chestnuts, pine cones, cinnamon, sweet potato pie, tangerine marmalade, brown sugar, acorns, tobacco, leather, sourdough bread, caramelized dragon fruit, hazelnut nectar, crème brulee, old oranges, mild chili pepper notes, coffee cake and bacon hints.

Aftertaste:

Finishing off with toasted coconut, coffee, orange, grapefruit and earthy hops, maple syrup, marshmallow smores, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, coffee cake, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche and toffee. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. Golden brown honey and Deep Crimson colored medium body, syrupy, silky, smooth, chewy, and velvety mouthfeel with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:

Supreme of Supremes, bucket lister of the Bastards. I was wrong, I was damn wrong for not picking this up way sooner. I am actually ashamed since I would have missed a great opportunity at such a great beer. It was so delicious in my opinion that I will do my damnest to make this one as a home brew as soon as I figure out a recipe for it. For now, if you loved the bastard for the years, you will definitely love this one.

Anime Corner:

Etna from Disgaea was used in this pairing since I always choose a character that corresponds with the characteristics of the Stone gargoyle like Lilith or Morrigan and even Asmodeus. It has been a long time and this time, I bring Etna into the mix. Her colors were always perfect for Arrogant Bastard pairings and her character has always been somewhat arrogant so it fit perfectly. Unlike the other characters, to better fit the sweet complexity of the beer, Etna’s characteristic of being caring at times and always cute fit those aspects.

Sources:
https://forum.touki.ru/gallery/66/c3fe2b73a977.jpg
http://img07.deviantart.net/5501/i/2014/049/7/b/etna_by_ku_on-d770edz.jpg
http://img05.deviantart.net/7771/i/2016/077/c/d/fanart___etna_by_caltea-d9vku2x.jpg

Poterie (8th Anniversary Ale) by The Bruery

June 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 8th Anniversary, aged in Bourbon Barrels, anniversary ale, anniversary gifts, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Metroid, Nintendo, Old Ale, Poterie, Samus Aran, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Poterie (8th Anniversary Ale) by The Bruery is a 16.8% ABV Old Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
This sturdy beer marks our eighth year, and we are grateful for the outpouring of community. Together may our supporters, our brewery and this beer grow in complexity and refinement over the years.

Our eighth anniversary ale, loosely brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using our house Belgian yeast strain then blended using the solera method for more complexity as the years go by. Poterie (Pottery) will age gracefully for decades when cellared properly.

==Introduction==

Poterie or “Pottery” in French, in the traditional sense of the wedding anniversary gifts, refers to the 9th year in which Pottery, Copper or Leather Goods are given. I noticed that this year, they decided to skip Bronze/Salt which was the 8th entry as it may have been too close to Copper or Salt may not have been a good name, who knows. The beer was released in May 2016 and will be available to the public and many places where the Bruery beers are sold. Every year’s addition of the first ale to the new batch gives it another great layer of complexity as the original ale that is now 8 years old and the new young batch all together using the Solera method, as explained in the description, is that much more extraordinary. Every year since Fruet, their 4th Anniversary when I first tried their beers, I have anticipated each release anxiously. It is with great pleasure that I show you, the newest batch and the newest review of the Bruery’s Anniversary beer. Cheers!!

Aromas:
Almond joy, toasted coconut, flan, fruit cake, Cadbury Cream Eggs, Creme brulee, Tres Leches/Three Creams cake, sweetened condensed milk, toffee, butterscotch, nutmeg, clove spice, hazelnut nectar, Danish cream cookies, bananas, clove spice, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, burnt sugar, Dark Belgian candi sugars, burnt cane sugar, butterscotch, waffle cone, dark fruit, raisins, plums, cherries, raspberries, anise, chocolate truffles and chocolate mousse.

Flavors:
Dulce de leche caramel and Milk Chocolate Cadbury Cream Egg fusions, Creme brulee, flan, vanilla, toasted coconut, marshmallows, chocolate truffles, bourbon, brown sugar, rocky road ice cream, Grilled Bananas, Tres Leches/Three Creams cake, sweetened condensed milk, toffee, butterscotch, nutmeg, clove spice, hazelnut nectar, Danish cream cookies, plantains, rye bread, chocolate cherry cordials, smores chocolate, fruit cake, mocha hints, Belgian Candi sugars, dark fruit raisins, plums, cherries, raspberries, chocolate mousse, waffle cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, maple syrup, stone fruit peaches and cream, mango, and wild flower honey.

Aftertaste:
Rich flavorful finish of fruit cake, dark fruits, Cadbury cream eggs, dark cherries, bourbon, marshmallows, flan, vanilla, milk chocolate, raisin bread pudding, flan and cola hints. Some alcohol in the aftertaste but not detracting from the rich flavors. Dark crimson brown medium to full body, silky, smooth and creamy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Supreme of supremes as well. It seems in comparison to the Scotch barrel aged is that the Scotch one is better as there are subtle Scotch notes that would distinguish it. I feel this year beats last year as it makes more for a fruit cake and flan forward flavors along with the cadburry cream eggs and the dark fruit cherries. So much going on at different temperatures especially as this evolves. If you have yet to get any of the Bruery’s anniversary beers and you love heavy brews, you must do yourself a favor and get one. Cheers to the Bruery, us the fans and many more years of beers!

Anime Corner:
As used in the Scotch Barrel Aged version of Poterie, Samus Aran from Nintendo’s Metroid series was used in this review as I wanted to pair with the colors of the label. The blues and oranges seem to stand out very well. Also, since I have done a trend on these using characters in body suits, I figured it was perfect. The Poterie aspect in the name works well too as in one of the artworks, her armor is like the color of pottery so her being inside the suit is like the beer being inside a ceramic vase. Definitely creative that is for sure. The complexity and flavors just mimic her character as well as she is both strong and her story is very deep. Now because this is the original base beer, I brought Ridley into the pairing as he stands being her nemesis but also an epic fight with Ridley show cases Samus strength and will.

Sources:
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/001/090/064/a4a.png
http://www.dailynintendo.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/47139_metroid.jpg
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/futabama/imgs/7/8/78926d88.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3f/08/47/3f08473584310cb6797672285260f232.jpg

2014 2nd Year Anniversary Crowded by Wiens Brewing

June 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 2nd anniversary, aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Barleywine, Attila, Crowded, cuvee, Double Black India Pale Ale, Fate Grand Order, Fate Stay Night, Imperial Bitter Brown, Imperial Brown, Imperial Stout, Pixiv Fantasia, Storia, Wiens Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

2014 2nd Year Anniversary Crowded by Wiens Brewing is an 11.5% ABV Cuvee Blend of Imperial Stout, Imperial Bitter Brown, Double Black India Pale Ale and a Barleywine all aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Bottled 10/23/2014
We selected Our Finest Barrel Aged Beers from our collection and masterfully blended them together to create crowded.

Celebrate with one now or crowd it into a cellar of your own. Cheers!

==Introduction==

I found this one at Mr. K’s Liquor near the Bruery. I really liked the label and really liked that this one was a barrel aged brew. I have not tried anything from Wiens brewing so I figure their anniversary ale is a good way to start especially since I love stouts and this one looks to be a cuvee of beers. An example of this is what Firestone Walker does for their anniversary ales. By blending different amounts of different styles of beers, it breeds a complex beer rich in complex flavors. Some blending of beers are better than others but we will have to see what this one has to offer. Cheers!

Aromas:
Smokey notes, tobacco, leather, toffee, vanilla, oak, bourbon, caramel, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, marshmallows, roasted coffee, flan, hazelnut nectar, wine grapes, dark fruits, chocolate smores and rocky road ice cream notes.

Flavors:
Bourbon, vanilla, caramel, oak, toasted coconut, pecan pie, rocky road ice cream, dark fruit raisins, currants, prunes, vanilla, flan, Irish cream, hazelnut nectar, marshmallows, chocolate smores, Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, toffee, earthy and piney hops, smokey and burnt wood, anise, tobacco, leather, lemon peel, funky wine grapes, mint and ash.

Aftertaste:
Finishing dry with notes super earthy and piney hop notes, smokey oak and rocky road ice cream.
No alcohol in the taste, dark murky brown fill body, creamy, silky and chewy mouthfeel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
While I think the score is high since it is using the barrel aging process and even though there is a lot of delicious complexity and aged for 2 years, something is up. I still think it is very delicious, but not the usual exceptional brews that go over the 5 rating. I think the aspect of Black IPA an possibly Bitter Brown might not meld well with the stout and barley wine. The beer is smokey, ashy and hoppy. The Barrel aging sure puts stuff together but it is essentially as the name states, it is “Crowded” in there. While I think the cuvee attempt is awesome and it reminds me a little of Firestone Walker’s blended Anniversaries (The sweeter complex flavors) as you sip it because there is so much rich goodness, yet it still finishes with that slightly unpleasant bitterness. I would definitely want to try this fresher if there is a difference. Maybe this just did not age well. I really think you should give this a shot as the parts that are delicious are very delicious but that smokey and earthy bitterness doesn’t play well.

Anime Corner:
Attila from Fate Stay Night Series, Grand Order and Storia from Pixiv Fantasia were used in this pairing to go with the colors of the label, the crows mainly and the flavor complexity from the ingredients as represented by the various colors. Also, the bad assery is all part of the theme with the crows.

Sources:
http://img1.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Fategrand-order-Fate-(series)-Anime-attila-(fategrand-order)-3104935.jpeg
http://static.zerochan.net/Storia.(Pixiv.Fantasia.T).full.1864171.jpg

La Muerta EC12, Vanilla EC12 & Coconut EC12 by Freetail brewing (Triple Review Special)

June 3, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Black Rock★Shooter, Bourbon Barrel Aged, coconut, Dead Master, Dia de los Muertos, EC12, Elyjah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon, Freetail Brewing, Imperial Stout, La Muerta, vanilla | Leave a comment

==Introduction==
A very special gift from my friend Aaron Mendiola, owner of BeerMetalDude.com, this is the 3 Elijah Craig 12 variants of Free Tail’s La Muerta! Which to me is like the Dark Lord of Texas in a way that Black Tuesday is the Dark Lord of California, or so I would think. Anyways, the variants are all aged in Elijah Craig 12-year-old bourbon and 2 of them are made with coconut and vanilla. The reason I wanted to do a triple review is to see how each one varies in the flavors not just to the EC12 by its self but even to the original La Muerta. Let’s take a look, Cheers!

Label (All 3):
A growing South Texas tradition, La Muerta is brewed each year for Día de los Muertos in honor of our departed friends and family. A big, lush Imperial Stout, La Muerta is full of roast, smoke and chocolate flavors from an array of specialty malts that go into this garnetblack ale. Perfect for sharing with your closest compadres, La Muerta will age wonderfully for years to come – we recommend enjoying one now and save some for the future, if you can. ¡Salud!

EC12
==============

La Muerta EC12 by Freetail brewing is a 10.01% ABV Imperial Stout blend with 33% Ale and 67% Aged in Elijah Craig 12 Bourbon Barrels.

Aromas:
Rocky road ice cream, vanilla, dark fruit raisins, currants, prunes, pecan pie, cinnamon, anise, fruit cake, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Mexican chocolate abuelita, German chocolate, campfire smoke, cherry cordials, coconut notes, rye bread, coffee notes and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Mexican chocolate abuelita, German Chocolate, rocky road ice cream, molasses, tobacco, anise, bourbon, oak, vanilla, marshmallows, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, coconut notes, rye bread, coffee note, cinnamon, capirotada raisin bread pudding, dark fruit raisins, currants, prunes, pecan pie, piloncillo sugar cone, brown sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, rock candy, candi sugar, ginger bread, fruit cake, chocolate flan, earthy notes, pretzel notes, bananas, clovey notes, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, campfire smoke, cherry cordials, port wine and dark chocolate cherry cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with earthy notes, rocky road ice cream, caramel, dark fruit, toffee, smokey notes,cinnamon and choco fruit cake finish. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark full body, creamy, smooth, syrupy and velvety mouth feel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

EC12 W/ Vanilla
==============

La Muerta EC12 by Freetail brewing is a 10.01% ABV Imperial Stout blend with 33% Ale and 67% Aged in Elijah Craig 12 Bourbon Barrels with Vanilla.

Aromas:
The vanilla comes through more on this one but still similar aromas to the original with some other notes like banana and more chocolate.

Flavors:
Similar to the original but the Vanilla accentuates flavors into something additional. More flan, more crème brulee, Jericalla Jaliscan custard, burnt sugar, more dulce de leche, more chocolate, almond milk, chocolate mousse and more rocky road ice cream.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich vanilla notes, flan, crème brulee, earthy notes, rocky road ice cream, Jericalla, more caramel, dark fruit, toffee, smokey notes,cinnamon and choco fruit cake finish. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark full body, creamy, smooth, syrupy and velvety mouth feel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

EC12 W/Coconut
===================
La Muerta EC12 by Freetail brewing is a 10.01% ABV Imperial Stout blend with 33% Ale and 67% Aged in Elijah Craig Bourbon 12 Barrels with Coconut.

Aromas:
Even richer coconut, flavor, macaroons, almond joy chocolate, rye, more flan notes, bit more dark fruits, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie and Cocada Mexican coconut candy along with the aromas of the original EC12.

Flavors:
Similar to the original but coconut seems to amplify the flavors way higher. Super Almond joy coconut chocolate note, rye bread, oakier, flan, chocolate coconut pie, hazelnut nectar, Irish cream, Danish cream, richer sweetened condensed milk, raspberry chambord hints, cocada Mexican coconut candy and macaroons.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with super rich with coconut, vanilla, flan, almond joy chocolate, bourbon, flan, crème brulee, fruit cake, rocky road ice cream, caramel, dark fruit, toffee, and smokey notes. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark full body, creamy, smooth, syrupy and velvety mouth feel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

==================
Overall:
While all the beers are supremely exceptional showcasing more complex flavors than the others, it was hard to choose which one I loved the most. Well, more than the original EC12 as that one was the base which was way better than the Original La Muerta ofcourse. However, the EC12 I really loved the most was the coconut one. While vanilla is my thing, the coconut one just blew everything out of the water for me and definitely the best coconut beer I’ve ever had so far. These variants should be highly sought out and I can never thank my friend Aaron Mendiola enough for these as he really went out of his way to get me something very special. Please support his site www.BeerMetalDude.com to see some more awesome beer reviews.

Anime Corner:
Original characters and Dead Master from Black★Rock Shooter were used to pair with each of the labels. I tried to get as close as possible to the labels using the different colored skeletons but also representing either the reaper, death, dead lady and grimm overall.

Sources:
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/toregazou/imgs/0/8/081b6e19.jpg
http://img.diyidan.net/post/2015/10/25/WfsRJg74djmEkEW8.jpg!webmedium
http://i.imgur.com/UXQV0l4.jpg
https://41.media.tumblr.com/560d2231a3934e6bcc4809a377578b4f/tumblr_o0hkk7hI331rd89lxo1_1280.png
http://i.imgur.com/K7JZPgP.png
https://k61.kn3.net/taringa/2/3/8/8/5/2/70/agente867/1CE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fA8bJVj.jpg
Rating: 6/6 EC12
Rating: 6.25/7 EC12 Vanilla
Rating: 6.35/7 EC12 Coconut

A Fistful Of Unidragon by Clown Shoes

May 26, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged A Fistful Of Unidragon, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Blaecorn Unidragon, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Clown Shoes Brewing, dark chocolate, milk Chocolate, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Russian Imperial Stout, Texas, Texas Dark Malts, Texas' Blacklands Malt, The Good The Bad & The Unidragon, Tia Harribel, unidragon, Yoruichi, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

A Fistful Of Unidragon by Clown Shoes is a 14% ABV Russian Imperial Stout brewed with mesquite smoked malt from Texas’ Blacklands Malt and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
A West Texas town terrorized by depraved outlaws, hired The Artist and his Smitty – Forged Unidragron Hand Cannon. The Artists, while emp and a bit sensitive, gets rough with bad guys, so he went ahead and incarcerated them. This beer, made with mesquite smoked malt from Blackland Malt Company, is a bourbon barrel aged version of The Good, The Bad and The Unidragon.

==Introduction==

I obtained this brew thanks to my friend Aaron Mendiola of BeerMetalDude.com. This brew is based on Clown Shoes The Good, The Bad and The Unidragon which I had reviewed some time back same thanks to my friend Aaron. Thanks to him, we were able to bring forth the collection from Texas provided by Clown Shoes. In return, I was able to send him the California Clown Shoes beers. I remember the brew was very good and now that it comes in a bourbon barrel aged form, let’s see if we can compare. Cheers.

Aromas:
campfire smokey oak, bacon notes, dark coffee roasted grounds, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Irish cream, fudge cake, sweet toffee, earthy notes, molasses, anise, toasted coconut, tobaccco, leather, flan, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, dark fruit raisins, plums, dark cherries, currants, marshmallow smores, pecan pie, crème brulee and rocky road ice cream.

Flavors:
Rich rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, campfire Smokey oak, bacon notes, dark coffee roasted grounds, roasted barley, mocha, java, vanilla, bourbon, oak, Kahlua liquer, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, dark cherries, currants, marshmallow smores, pecan pie, Irish cream, fudge cake, sweet toffee, earthy notes, molasses, anise, toasted coconut, tobaccco, leather, flan, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, rye whiskey, earthy notes and crème brulee.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with touch of smokey, whiskey, bourbony notes and complexity like dark fruit, dark chocolate, vanilla, coconut, rocky road ice cream, vanilla and caramel. Slight alcohol in the taste but despite the ABV, does not detract from the flavors. Pitch black abyss body, smooth, velvety, creamy and chewy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Hot Diggity, this is better than the original. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to have a good friend that shares common interest and has been able to send me the beers. It is all possible with the help from my friend Aaron. I think this beer is definitely worth the find especially if you are out in Texas or can trade for it online. The fact that Clown Shoes works with the local craft community at Texas shows a lot of love and effort goes into making these collaborations. So definitely get a bottle if you can.

Anime Corner:
Tia Harribel, Yoruichi Shihouin, & Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck from Bleach represent the good, the bad and the unidragon from the original beer. I brought them back in this pairing as well but this time with different attire to fit the beer’s label a little better. Especially with the old west scene with Yoruichi and more fashionable for all 3 of them and looking bad ass too.

Sources:
http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/daraunon/d6579bc08371d50fbd4fe9e3b8d5f876_zps62ad63eb.jpg
http://www.less-real.com/imagevault/uploaded/images/part1/1145.jpg
http://k31.kn3.net/taringa/0/9/3/1/1/2/_-Kirito-_/6E5.jpg

2011 Bourbon Barrel Aged Grand Cru by Black Diamond

April 9, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Fruit Beer, Grand Cru, Janne D'Arc, Nockmaar, SNK, Sorsha, vanilla beans, Willow, World Heroes | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

2011 Bourbon Barrel Aged Grand Cru by Black Diamond is a 9% ABV Belgian Dark Strong Ale which 75% is brewed with Fruit with Vanilla Beans Added and 25% Ale is aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
The designation of “Grand Cru” originates from the Burgundy region of France. Brewers have taken the term and applied to it more elaborate, aged and reserved versions of their beers. Our Belgian-style Dark Ale has been taken to the next level by the careful blending and aging techniques.

After much tinkering -with a number of unique ingredients combined with wood barrel aging- we arrived at this wonderful juxtaposition of fruitiness and maltiness which harmonized magically to produce this delicious winter warmer.

When poured, the beer has a deep mahogany hue. In the aroma, figs and dark fruit intermingle with notes from the wood barrel used, as well as subtle notes of banana and bubblegum from the fermentation process. Aging for twelve months on oak brings forth flavor of the barrel, as well as vanillin from the wood that is complemented by vanilla beans which provide a velvety smoothness and richness . The taste starts with the rich sweetness of the fruit, carries through with a rich mellow center and finishes dry, allowing for another glass as you sit by a cozy fire.

==Introduction==

I first had this beer back in 2012 for my birthday. Back then it was a beer that my brother got me as a gift. Back then I remember this one for being one for being memorable. Not only in its deliciousness but also the sentimental value since it was a gift from my brother. During a trip over to my friend Julio’s house in La Mirada California, I had visited Sammy’s VIII Liquor and they had a bottle of this aging. While the price was right, I couldn’t help but just bring it back to the site, years later after I first tried it. The artwork was really cool as well. So if it is true that the original bottle was from 2011, then I hope 5 years aged has given way to a very delicious brew. Let’s find out. Cheers!

Aromas:
Wine grapes, oak, bourbon, dark fruit berry jam on toasted rye bread, bananas, clove spice, cinnamon, Dark fruit raisins, prunes plums, figs, dark cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, currants, cranberries, Dark fruit yogurt hints, pecan pie, brown sugar, stone fruit apricots, peaches, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, milk chocolate raisins and chocolate cherry cordials.

Flavors:
Rich Dark fruit raisins, prunes plums, figs, dark cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, currants, cranberries, Wine grapes, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smore hints, stone fruit apricots, peaches, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, milk chocolate raisins, chocolate cherry cordials, port wine, raspberry chambord, dark fruit berry jam on toasted rye bread, bananas, clove spice, cinnamon, Dark fruit yogurt hints, pecan pie, flan hints and crème brulee hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich dark fruits, oak, stone fruit, mild bourbon notes, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, marshmllow and cinnamon hints. No alcohol in the taste, crimson dark murky body, smooth, velvety and mildly creamy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional brew with lots of dark fruit forward flavors with notes of bourbon. This brew reminds me a lot of the Deschutes Anniversary ales except where those are stouts this one is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale/grandcru. Essentially, the Belgian Dark Strong version. Ofcourse, while that is leagues away from this one, I still like this one as it was a gift from my brother a long time ago. I would highly recommend it if you love fruit forward beers with notes of oak and bourbon. Especially if you can find the aged one. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Janne D’Arc from SNK’s World Heroes was used in this brew pairing since I used her for the pairing long ago. The castle in the label of the brew reminds me of Nockmaar castle from the movie and NES game Willow. In the movie, it had a strong swordswoman named Sorsha which wore armor similar to that of Janne. While there is no anime version of Sorsha, Janne from SNK was the closest I could find. The brew colors, label and Janne bring me back to the nostalgia of the old school Willow series I loved as a child.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/7FyFsFu.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jJAQbI0nirg/maxresdefault.jpg

2015 Bourbon County Brand Stout by Goose Island Beer Co.

March 11, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Imperial Stout, BCBS, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon county, Bourbon County Brand Stout, Franco il Nero, Goose Island, goose island beer, Lily Salvatana, Outlaw Django, Tre Donne Crudeli | 1 Comment

Rating: 6/6

2015 Bourbon County Brand Stout by Goose Island Beer Co. is a 14.2% ABV Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
Intense Aromas of charred oak, oak, vanilla, caramel & smoke

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
“I really wanted to do something special for our 1000th batch at the original brewpub. Goose Island could have thrown a party. But we did something better. We brewed a beer. A really big batch of stout-so big the malt was coming out of the top of the mash tun. After fermentation we brought in some bourbon barrels to age the stout. One hundred and fifty days later, Bourbon County Stout was born-A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with a thick foam the color of bourbon barrels. The nose is a mix of charred oak, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer. It overpowers anything in the room. People have even said that it’s a great cigar beer, but I haven’t yet tried a cigar that would stand up to it.” Brewmaster Greg Hall;
IBU’s 60-High Color – Midnight

==Introduction==

I received this one as a gift by my new friend Joseph Taitano whom I was introduced by my friend Augie Escobedo, both of BeerBumz on Facebook. After making the impression with my homebrews at the beer session, I was humbled with this gift and I gracefully accepted. I haven’t tried Bourbon County in a while and this being the 2015 version, I decided to bring it to the site for old time sakes and since I had it on hand. One of the beers along with others that started the trend of being able to barrel age brews to raise them into new flavor experiences. A level up if you will. Definitely something that has been well and consistent over the years despite being owned by InBev, Goose Island makes some very coveted brews. Cheers!

Aromas:
Vanilla, oak, toasted coconut, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, rocky road ice cream, bananas, flan, Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, fudge chocolate, dark fruit currants, raisins, blackberries, raspberries, dark cherries, marshmallow smores, pecan pie, almond milk, molasses, anise, tobacco, coffee cake and crème brulee.

Flavors:
Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, fudge chocolate, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, bourbon, dark fruit currants, raisins, blackberries, raspberries, dark cherries, plums, chocolate cake, brownie batter, molasses, anise, tobacco, leather hints, flan, Sweetened condensed milk, bananas, clove spice, rocky road ice cream, almond joys, Khalua coffee liqueur, crème brulee, marshmallow smores, rum hints, mocha chocolate, chocolate mousse, Pancho pantera chocolate milk shake, port wine hints, pecan pie, almond milk and fondue.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with a lot of lingering flavors of bourbon, oak, vanilla, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, dark fruit, crème brulee, flan, tobacco and earthy notes. No alcohol in the taste despite ABV, Dark supreme full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
There’s a reason why this is one of the original brews that started using bourbon barrels to age their beers. Essentially, a staple in the bourbon barrel aged beer scene. A supremely exceptional brew that ranges with the most balanced and best examples of what makes the Bourbon Barrel Aged Beers I love so damn great. With the release of several to more markets, it is nice knowing that some of the brews that inspired the great barrel aging process can now let people be part of history and something special. A must have beer!

Anime Corner:
Franco il Nero from Tre Donne Crudelli “Outlaw Django” is used in this pairing since I had used her in the 2008 Bourbon County pairing to show this one will get you nice a buzzed but also warm you up inside. Also, the whole them of Cowboys and Cowgirls I used in this pairing with the beer because whenever I think of Bourbon and County, I think of the Old west. This beer should have won the west. Since it was the original Bourbon County pairing, it stuck. Also, this year, I added a more of a “County Fair” aspect to it (Yes, since County is in the name). You can see this as “Lily Salvatanna” helps out that girl and you see Franco above the tent with some Ruffians up to no good. Trying to steal some county fair ground goods I’m sure!

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/136314
https://files.yande.re/image/c186f9f8d3ef6e89e82e9c019d4c4b8c/yande.re%2062163%20franco_il_nero%20nitroplus%20niθ%20pantsu%20tre_donne_crudeli.jpg
https://files.yande.re/sample/c0c4fad7d568e10ca2ac663271b557b2/yande.re%20134757%20sample%20alfie%20chibi%20crossover%20elf%20garnet%20himuro_kane%20megane%20mira%20nitroplus%20overfiltered%20pointy_ears%20seifuku%20spica%20sumaga%20type-moon%20underboob%20witch.jpg

2016 So Happens It’s Tuesday by The Bruery

February 27, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bakuretsu Tenshi, Black Tuesday, Burst Angel, Imperial Stout, JO, Session beer, So Happens It's Tuesday, The Bruery | 1 Comment

Rating: 5.75/6

2016 So Happens It’s Tuesday by The Bruery is a 14% ABV Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
IT HAPPENS

A dark and delicious display of rich malts, toasty oak flavors and vanilla-like notes from extended aging in bourbon barrels.

Our infamous Black Tuesday stout is named in honor of the great stock market crash of 1929. So Happens It’s Tuesday is similarly dark and delicious, but in a more affable format, reminding us that there is always a bit of good to be found within the bad. Things happen, life goes on. This beer can be enjoyed in all of those moments and seasons, ideally served at 55°F (13°C) in a tulip or wine glass.

==Introduction==

Released to the Reserve and Hoarders Society members and to the public soon. Essentially, this is supposed to the “Session” version of Black Tuesday. That is a pretty bold statement considering the original is 20%ABV!!!!!!!!!!!! Their original run from 2014 did not make it and so they decided it to rebrew it. At a smaller ABV, I have to see how this fairs. Yes, this is not the same as the Black Tuesday and I know I said I would not review the regular since I did s countless times but this is an exception. I always wanted to bring this “Session” brew to the site, now it is here! Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Rich toasted coconut, oak, bourbon, maple syrup, crème brulee, chocolate cherry cake, Three Milks/Tres Leches cream, mocha hints, dark fruit cherries, prunes, raisins, cocada Mexican coconut candy, dark fruit cherries, raspberries, prunes, raisins, plums, figs, currants and toffee.

Flavors:
Rich Toasted Coconut, oak, bourbon, Dark fruit cherries, raspberries, prunes, raisins, plums, figs, currants, cocada Mexican coconut candy, Dulce de leche caramel, bananas, vanilla, clove spice, marshmallow smores, rocky road ice cream, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, brown sugar, maple syrup, crème brulee, chocolate cherry cake, Three Milks/Tres Leches cream, mocha hints, Oreo cookies and cream, Toffee, Piloncillo Sugar Cone, flan, and leche nestle/sweetened condenced milk.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with toasted coconut, vanilla, marshmallow, bourbon, rich dark fruits, caramel, oak, bananas and clove spice. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. Pitch black dark like the original, smooth, creamy, syrupy nd velvety mouthfeel and damn drinkable even though the ABV says otherwise. Crazy huh? But I would not doubt it especially for a “session”.

Overall:
An exceptional brew right off the bat! While yes, it is not as super complex or strong ABV wise, this brew is still a Black Tuesday. I think of it as a session especially since it seems that it is too easy to drink even for the ABV. I don’t know what it is that makes it very covetable, but it is. Also, the fact that this might see a public release soon is very thrilling for people that have not tried the regular Black Tuesday. It is a great example of what to expect and more drinkable at that. Definitely get it!

Anime Corner:
Jo from Burst Angel was used in this pairing since her story is similar to KOS-MOS where she did not know she was basically a genetic war machine. Essentially, like KOS-MOS, she learned about her past near the end of the series and her true purpose. Other than the similarities (Both Machines, pilots of Mechs) which I felt best fit my theme of the pairings for Black Tuesday (the collapse of a system for a new age to emerge) This beer’s ingredients and flavors pair well with some of the colors on Jo. I also added one where she is with Meg, her partner to show case some more colors.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/EV1sL.jpg
http://blog-imgs-31-origin.fc2.com/k/i/n/kingqueenjack/20100523005416511.jpg
http://my-site.at.ua/_ph/2/720982297.jpg

2015 Quingenti Millitre Series Batch No. 07 Xocoveza Mocha Stout Charred Collaboration by Chris Banker, Stone Brewing and Cerveceria Insurgente de Mexico

February 27, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Backstreet Billiards, bittersweet chocolate flavors, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Cerveceria Insurgente, Cervezeria Insurgente, Charred, chocolate abuelita, Chris Banker, Cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, Collaboration Beer, Dulce de leche, May, mexican beer, Milk Stout, Mocha Stout, nutmeg, Quingenti Millilitre, Quingenti Millilitre Series, Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Stone Brewing, Sweet Stout, vanilla, Viva Mexico, World class, world class beers, Xocoveza, Xocoveza Mocha Stout Charred | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2015 Quingenti Millitre Series Batch No. 07 Xocoveza Mocha Stout Charred Collaboration by Chris Banker, Stone Brewing and Cerveceria Insurgente de Mexico is an 10% ABV World Class Milk/Sweet Stout brewed with cocoa, coffee, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg then aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Pronuced (SHO-CO-VAY-ZA)

Brewed August 17
The base beer is the recipe of 2014 Stone Homebrew Competition winner Chris Banker, an intensely flavorful milk stout brewed with coffee and spices to mimic the rich flavors of Mexican hot chocolate.

In The Mash
U.S. Pale, Maris Otter Pale, Crystal, Black Patent, Coffee Malt & Chocolate Malt

In The Boil
Challenger & East Kent Golding Hops.

Special Ingredients
Lactose, Flaked Oats, Coffee, Vanilla, Pasilla Peppers, Nutmeg, Cinnamon & Cocoa

Unfiltered and Aged 3 months in American Oak Kentucky Bourbon Barrels.

CELLAR NOTES: Time spent in bourbon barrels gave an already complex beer even more complexity and flavor intensity, layering additional caramel-like and vanilla flavors on top of those already present. Aromas of rich coffee and dark chocolate are followed by nutmeg and cinnamon; a lush, heavy mouthfeel laden with charred oak and toffee engulfs the palate on the first sip. Lingering pasilla pepper and soft oak flavors persist through an exceptionally long finish in this intensely rich and satisfying beer.
==Introduction==

I received this one as a gift by my new friend Joseph Taitano whom I was introduced by my friend Augie Escobedo, both of BeerBumz on Facebook. I had tried the Tequila variant but missed out on getting the Charred one. However, thanks to the wonderful donation, now I can share my thoughts on the beer. The reason I got it was as a special thanks as I had shared my homebrew on a beer tasting session. Every one of which who enjoyed my beers a whole lot. I even got a name, calling me “The Prodigy” of homebrewing. It is true, I have only been brewing beer for a year but the fact that I have been inspired by awesome beers that already exist make me take matters into my on hands and come up with recipes that mimic some of the best beers in the world. While I know I hope to one day make my own brewery, I still need years of experience as well to make it big. So to Augie, Joseph, My friend Will Carranza who introduced me to Augie and to all the BeerBumz as well as my fellow homebrewer Richard Avila, to my friend Aaron Mendiola of BeerMetalDude.com from Texas and people reading my blogs, Cheers to all and a sincerest Thank You!!! Someday, I hope you get to try my brews.

Aromas:
Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, Dulce De leche cajeta/caramel, Kahlua Liqueur, Ancho chile, pasilla chile, Molé, cinnamon, nutmeg, smokey oak, bourbon, pan dulce, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, marshmallow smores, butterscotch, rocky road ice cream, mocha, roasted coffee notes, cafe con leche, Mexican vanilla, coconut hints, cocada mexican coconut candy hints, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, Milk sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, Champurrado, earthy notes, molasses, clove spice, grilled platanitos/bananas and Churros.

Flavors:
Charred smokey oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel/ cajeta, toffee, rye, Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Molé, cinnamon, nutmeg, tres leches cake, Champurrado, earthy notes, molasses, clove spice, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, cookies and cream, dark fruit raisins, dark cherry, grilled platanitos/bananas, Churros, marshmallows, campfire smores, graham crackers, honey comb, Kahlua Liqueur, Ancho chile, pasilla chile spices but no heat, Milk sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, pan dulce, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, butterscotch, cocada mexican coconut candy hints, mocha, roasted coffee notes, Jericalla Mexican custard, espresso, cafe con leche and Mexican vanilla.

Aftertaste:
Lots of smokey oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, bourbon notes, marshmallow, dark chocolate, campfire smores, piloncillo, chocolate abuelita, pumpkin notes,spicy chile notes, earthy notes, dulce de leche and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, ridiculously smooth drinkability, very creamy, velvety and smooth mouthfeel, and pitch black body just like the original.

Overall:
Supremely above and beyond. I had no idea the Xocoveza could take it to another level of enjoyment. Granted, I enjoyed the Tequila version but this is also just as good in its own league. The bourbon and charred oak brings about more smokey caramel and marshmallow flavors forward that you would find in the regular Xocoveza or even the Tequila and Wine one. Complexity on its own terms essentially. With that being said, I would highly recommend this one as well. Heck, I would recommend all 3 brews, they were one of the biggest hits for Stone Brewing.

Anime Corner:
Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach, art by trzaraki of Deviantart.com and May from Backstreet Billiards for the PS1 were chosen in this pairing for different reasons. The original Xocoveza I used May as she represents the Mexican culture of where the recipe was inspired from especially the Mexican brewers that helped Stone with the creation. Since the upgrade using the bourbon barrel aging, I wanted to pair with one of my favorite anime characters, Yoruichi, since I wanted to show case how this was a more powerful beer than the original. I found a pic where she is what looks to be indigenous attire but also the colors of both pictures represent the colors and flavors of the beer. Her becoming a Goddess of Thunder with the purple hair represents the increase in the complexity and strength of the brew bringing the beer to a new league of its own.

Sources:
http://trzaraki.deviantart.com/art/Yoruichi-Shihouin-12-01-583945424
http://s27.postimg.org/ht9xex4cj/bsb_copy.jpg
http://i99.beon.ru/s013.radikal.ru/i325/1410/46/59c868e49075.jpg

2016 Chronology:6 Wee Heavy by the Bruery

February 26, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chronology:6, Cortana, halo, master chief, Scotch Ale, The Bruery, Wee Heavy | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.85/6

2016 Chronology:6 Wee Heavy by the Bruery is a 13.7% ABV Wee Heavy/Scotch Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Scotchology
This wee heavy ale aged in bourbon barrels is the first in a chronologically aged series released at six-month intervals to chart the evolution of barrel-aged character over time.

In this installment of our Chronology Series we brewed a wee heavy – known for rich, malt-forward flavors – and set it to age in bourbon barrels. Every six months, we’ll take a quarter of the barrels, blend them and bottle them. This first bottling represents the nuances imparted to the base beer after six months of barrel aging.

==Introduction==

Obtained from the Reserve and Hoarders Society, this brew is a new chapter in the list of aging beers. Like last year’s Old Ale aged in bourbon, this year they are going with a Wee Heavy aged in bourbon and will be releasing the brew every 6 months to see how complex it becomes over these times. With each release, we will try and see where it goes. Wee Heavy/Scotch ales are one of my favorite styles that do not get brewed often. For being an uncommon brew, the maltiness is definitely unique and so it is its own style for this reason. This is the second time I try a Scotch ale from the Bruery. The first time was the Sourboro which was a sour wee heavy. Now with this, I am ready to try more. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, smoked peat, oak, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, dark fruit prunes, grapes, brown sugar, vanilla, rocky road ice cream, vanilla, oak, anise, licorice hints, bananas, clove spice, milk chocolate and coffee hints.

Flavors:
Rich dulce de leche caramel, toffee, dark fruit prunes, grapes, plums, bourbon, scotch, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, smoked peat, oak, rye bread, molasses, dark cherries, grilled bananas and cream, clove spice, anise, licorice hints, dates, pecan pie,hazelnut nectar, fruit cake, stone fruit peaches, coffee notes, flan, scotch, rocky road ice cream, brown sugar, vanilla, maple, nutmeg, allspice and blueberry cheesecake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with dark fruits, toffee, dates, oak, bourbon, toasted coconut, bananas, caramel and hazelnut nectar. Slight alcohol in the taste. Dark brown full body, smooth, creamy and chewy mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional brew right off the bat. I can only assume it will get much more grandiose over time. As the alcohol mellows out, some of the complexity starts to come out much more. There are definitely a lot of the Wee Heavy components to this and the fact that it is barrel aged, it makes it that much more delicious. I definitely would like to try it as it ages but for now, definitely seek this one out!

Anime Corner:
Cortana from Halo was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the colors of the label and dark fruits mainly. While Cortana herself might not have a direct connection to time, her knowledge of expertise in the future and the ability Master Chief to summon her when needed “Saves” time but also the time it took to implement all her knowledge is all the time in the world. The FUTURE!

Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/aa/36/df/aa36df81275dce5f55ff4779b4a36eb5.jpg
http://android-tehno.ru/_ld/22/64711061.jpeg

2016 Colonel Kernel by The Bruery

February 26, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barleywine, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Colonel Kernel, corn bread, Cornwine, Legend of Zelda, maize, Sheik, The Bruery, Zelda | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

2016 Colonel Kernel by The Bruery is a 14.8% ABV Cornwine aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
BEAST OF BOURBON

Colonel Kernel is a bourbon barrel-aged barleywine-style ale with corn. Think of it as sticky caramel corn served out of a toasty bourbon barrel, but without the kernels to stick in your teeth. It’s best enjoyed while in uniform via a tulip or wine glass, unless you want an earful. Best stored and cellared around 55°F (13°C) in a dark place. Ideal serving temperature is 55°F (13°C).

==Introduction==

Released to the 2015 and 2016 Reserve and Hoarders Society members, this is a brew that was made using corn. I would definitely be a skeptic about corn and beer as corn is mainly an adjunct to commercial lagers like rice. However, this is the Bruery were talking about and if they can pull off an amazing corn based brew, then I want to see it!… and try it ofcourse. With that being said, it does bring up both the sense of concern but also a sense of intrigue. How will this one do? Let’s check it out. So here it is, Colonel Kernel. Cheers!

Aromas:
Caramel Popcorn, Toffee, Butterscotch, bananas, clove spice, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, , rye bread, maple, custard, corn bread, cane sugar, bananas, almonds, pecan pie, walnuts, crème brulee and capirotada raisin bread pudding.

Flavors:
Dulce de leche Caramel, Butterscotch, toffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, cream corn, caramelized popcorn, maize, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, almonds, pecan pie, walnuts, crème brulee, maize atole hints, capirotada raisin bread pudding, macadmia nuts, milk chocolate, oatmeal, cream of wheat, grilled bananas, clove spice, port wine, coconut hints, rocky road icecream, marshmallows, smores, hazelnut hints, rye bread, maple, custard, corn bread and cane sugar.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with caramelized popcorn notes, butterscotch, bourbon, rocky road ice cream, creamy maize atole hints, maple and dark fruits. Boozy alcohol in the taste. Dark Honey colored full body, creamy, velvety, chewy and syrupy mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional brew providing a variety of complex flavors. One thing to note about this one is that it is pretty boozy. While still giving off lots of caramelized corn and sweet flavors, time will definitely do wonders for this one. Hence the lower rating. Still though, it can easily be a supreme after sometime. It proves it on its own even with the alcohol burn. I would recommend getting it for. Try one now and one to cellar to see how it fares overtime.

Anime Corner:
Sheik/Zelda from The Legend of Zelda was used in this pairing mainly for the colors of the label which also happen to be some of the colors of the ingredients and flavors like the corn, maize and the dark fruits. Mainly as corn being an elusive ingredient in craft brews mainly since it’s an adjunct, when done right, it can be an amazing ingredient to use in brews. This elusiveness is something that Sheik is. Essentially, you never knew it was actually Princess Zelda the entire time helping Link out.

Sources:
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p228/LittleMarionette/PrincessZeldafull1153657.jpg~original
http://img12.deviantart.net/1479/i/2014/004/1/5/sheik___zelda_by_diabolumberto-d70rooo.jpg

2016 Infinite Wishes by Smog City

February 5, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Imperial Stout, Auryn, Bastian, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Falcor, Family Guy, FF4, Final Fantasy 4, Final Fantasy IV, Infinite Wishes, Luck Dragon, MoonChild, NeverEnding Story, Peter Griffin, Rydia, Rydia of the Mist, Smog City, Smog City brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Infinite Wishes by Smog City is a 12.7% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Infinite Wishes is an inspired reimagination of a classic Imperial Stout. Decadently aged for 12 months in bourbon barrels, Infinite Wishes draws from the depths of nothingness and pours obsidian black with intense aromas of vanilla, cinnamon and cooked sugar finishing with the layered richness of a bourbon chocolate pie.

==Introduction==

Obtained this one on release date at Smog City in Torrance California. I unfortunately had missed last years released but was granted the ability to purchase last years as well. This time, I would not miss it not matter what. This brew reminded me so much of the Neverending Story. That cult classic from the 80’s which is basically their The Nothing (The Antagonistic Entity of the movie) aged in bourbon barrels. May not say much but The Nothing was pretty ridiculous and delicious. Hence, I could not wait to get this one regardless, take up Falcor the Magic Dragon and take Flight!!! Let’s take a look and see what is the true infinite wishes all about.

Aromas:
Rich Pecan pie aroma, Oak, Bourbon, dark fruits raisins, figs, prunes, bananas, clove spice, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Belgian Chocolates, Chocolate Mousse, clove spice, Vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, molasses, anise, toffee, Three Milks/Tres Leches, port wine, rocky road ice cream, crème brulee, flan, coconut, graham crackers, coffee notes and lots of marshmallows.

Flavors:
Rich Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Mexican chocolate, chocolate mousse, chocolate cheese cake, Oak, Bourbon, Vanilla, Dulce De Leche Caramel, Pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, rich bananas, grilled Bananas, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, currants, black cherries, raspberries, flan, leche nestle/sweetened condensed milk, choco flan, brown sugar, Three Milks/Tres Leches cream, Toffee, Piloncillo Sugar Cone, Cotton candy, marshmallows, chocolate smores, choco flan, toasted coconut, port wine, clove spice, crème brulee, molasses, mint anise, maple syrup, rocky road ice cream, tobacco notes, and chocolate pudding.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with flavors of Rich Dulce de leche caramel, dark chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, dark fruits, cherry cordials, oak, bourbon, pecan pie, coconut, tres leches cake and marshmallows. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. Dark pitch black like the nothing body. Velvety, silky, syrupy, smooth and rich creamy mouthfeel, and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
This little bottle is pure damn magic! If magic potions do exists, then this is one of them. Granting an immense amount of richness to seemingly all senses, the wishes aspect is all true. One of the the many things you could wish for is in this bottle. Ridiculously complex, just like the super well made great beers of our times and one of the most coveted. Supremely recommended and a must have!

Anime Corner:
Rydia of Mist from Final Fantasy IV was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the childlike empress who grants Bastian the infinite wishes for destroying the nothing by giving her a name, that name was *Spoiler Alert* MoonChild! *SpoilerEnds* Essentially, Rydia in the pictures I found was a child in the beginning and later you find out that she had summoning powers. A real powerful sorceress princess. She did travel to the moon to save the world another reason why I think it paired greatly. In the last picture she is holding a flame and you see the white dragon in the background paying a tribute to the Luck Dragon and the infinite wishes crystal that the childlike empress gives Bastian as well as the Auryn.

Sources:
http://mirusoft.jp/databank/gazouita_collector/thread/1380027964/11404986492811.jpg
http://s01.riotpixels.net/data/69/c8/69c8236c-267a-4d16-bf40-e517d9a10bb0.png.720p.png/artwork.final-fantasy-4-the-after-years.1021×720.2009-06-05.18.png
http://blog-imgs-47.fc2.com/g/a/m/gameinfocom/20110529194017f9d.jpg
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2011-10-13-444542.jpeg

Cinnamonk by The Bruery Terreux

February 5, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Blueberries, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Cinnamon, Cinnamonk, Imperial Brown Ale, Ranma, Ranma 1/2, Shampoo, Sour Brown Ale, The Bruery Terreux, Xian pu | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Cinnamonk by The Bruery Terreux is a 12.1% ABV Imperial Sour Brown brewed with Blueberries and Cinnamon aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Description:
MALTY – FRUITY – TART
Cinnamon and monks are both known for being found in remote locations. Their stories separately stretch back several millennia, and both can pinpoint their popularity to modern day Egypt. But here’s something else they have in common: together, they make a formidable team in creating wildly traditional bière™. Cinnamonk is a dark, imperial, Belgian-style sour brown ale – the type of beer a monk might brew if he took up permanent residence in Southern California. Cinnamon was used to amplify the subtle spicing derived from the Belgian yeast while blueberries catapult the dark fruit flavors. After spending time in bourbon barrels, the result emerges with notes of candied dates and tree nuts, toffee-drizzled dark winter fruits, maduro earthiness, autumnal spicing, tart flavors and oak-aged character.

==Introduction==

Obtained this one from the Bruery under their Reserve Society membership last year. So it took me a while to get to try it until recently. I actually did try it at the Bruery but was not too impressed. It was nice and tart with some nice bourbon notes but wasn’t major. Now I bring the bottle as I wanted to review it even though it was decent on tap. They say for these types of Belgian beers, bottle conditioning does wonders. However, how much of the bottle conditioning change the brew? Well let us check it out. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dulce de leche, banana notes, cinnamon, ginger spice, ginger bread, oak, clove spice, dark fruits, raisins, blueberries, plums, figs, raspberry notes, Blueberry Funnel cake, stone fruit apricot, peach preserves, sweetened condensed milk hints, mild chocolate notes, citrus, lemon notes and toffee.

Flavors:
Rich dark fruits, raisins, blueberries, plums, figs, raspberry notes, Cinnamon, ginger spice, ginger bread, oak, bourbon, toasted rye bread, vanilla, dulce de leche, banana notes, clove spice, blueberry cobbler, fruit cake, toffee, molasses, wine grapes, port wine, blueberry wine, mild chocolate notes, citrus, lemon notes, stone fruit apricot, peach preserves, sweetened condensed milk hints, blueberry flan, piloncillo sugar cone, Blueberry Funnel cake, Blueberry Churros, Danish cream, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, rock candy and Belgian Date sugars.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with very nice dark fruit notes, caramel, vanilla, oak, tart grape and wine notes, bourbon and banana hints. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. Crimson, purple and brown full body, smooth, creamy, tangy and effervescent mouthfeel with a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Waayyy better than when I first had it. I think this one being bottle conditioned like Belgians do probably makes the difference. This one is damn enjoyable ranging from the sweet, tart and sour complexities. In my opinion, one of the best sours I have had in the longest time. Specifically since the combination of fruits and bourbon barrel aging does wonders. I would highly recommend you find this one. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Shampoo and Ranma-Chan Saotome from Ranma ½ were used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the Cinnamon and the Blueberries, the Chinese monks in relation to monks in general and the colors, flavors and ingredients of the beer. The strength of the blueberries in this one complements very well the cinnamon hence the picture where it shows Shampoo whispering into Ranma. The strength of both martial artists coincides with the beers strength and complexity with bourbon aging.

Sources:
http://www.fondosescritorio.net/wallpapers/Manga-Y-Anime/Ranma/Ranma_24.jpg
http://image.smart-ero.net/full/http://livedoor.r.blogimg.jp/nijilab/imgs/0/8/08b45d6a.jpg
http://static.minitokyo.net/downloads/03/10/45503.jpg
http://i3.pixiv.net/img-original/img/2013/11/02/00/37/34/39486974_p0.jpg

Juggling Walruses by The Bruery Terreux

February 3, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Aisha Clan-Clan, american oak barrels, American Wild Ale, black currants, Bruery, Juggling Walruses, Outlaw Star, Tart of Darkness, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.35/6

Juggling Walruses by The Bruery Terreux is a 10% ABV American Wild Ale 34% aged in Bourbon Barrels, 66% Aged in oak barrels with Black Currants.

Label:
Mysterious – Elaborate – Laborious

Commercial Description:
There were a lot of balls in play. And heavy lifting. You see, in relatively short order, Bruery Terreux had become quite robust, especially since the build out and launch on April 22, 2015. We had amassed a substantial amount of filled barrels, from seasonal releases, one-time treats and cherished smaller batch experiments. The art of the blend beckoned, and we had our pick of the litter (or would that be herd?) For such a mysterious beer that became known around the office as Juggling Walruses, Tart of Darkness was the perfect place to begin, making up the highest percentage of contributing barrels. But it wasn’t just Tart of Darkness as you’ve come to know it. About two-thirds of the barrels were wine barrel-aged Tart of Darkness; and the other third of the oak barrels from the sour stout were particularly young. Black currants were added to all these barrels, introducing a less familiar fruit to our lineup, with a darker hue and new nuances to the sour beer flavor profile.

When blended with the other oak barrel and bourbon barrel-aged beers that were carefully selected for this blend, Juggling Walruses exhibits dark fruits, roast and char on the nose, with vinous notes and oaky characteristics weaving through flavors reminiscent of midnight foraging for berries in the forest.

==Introduction==

Released to the Bruery’s Reserve and Hoarders Society, this brew is a Cuvee of different aged ales. I think the reference to the Juggling Walruses came from the fact that they had to move so many barrels around. The barrels themselves do kind of look like big walruses so with moving the barrels around are like them trying to juggle the walruses. Good Game there Bruery. Anyways, the fact that this is a sour and a bourbon barrel aged is really intriguing as there are not that many out there that are like this, except ones like Burbonic Plague which was similar. These unique beers truly show some of the best a brewery has to offer. Cheers!

Aromas:
Grape Wine notes, Milk Chocolate, Dark chocolate, dark fruit plums, figs raisins, boysenberries, Concorde grape skins, marshmallows, dark chocolate, port wine, chardonnay, raspberry liqueur, anise, hibiscus flowers, Black Currant Yogurt, Dark cherry yogurt, brown sugar and coffee notes.

Flavors:
Tart Concorde grape skins, coconut hints, oak, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, toffee, molasses, Dark fruit plums, figs raisins, boysenberries, marshmallows, smores, pecan pie, Black Currant Yogurt, Dark cherry yogurt, currant cheesecake, Milk Chocolate, Dark chocolate, port wine, wine grapes, chardonnay, raspberry liqueur, anise, hibiscus flowers, biscuit bread, coffee notes, mocha, toasted buttery bread with currant spread.

Aftertaste:
Super dark fruit medley and berries, oak, bourbon hints, rich wine notes, and funky dry finish. No alcohol in the taste despite this being 10% ABV. Dark Brown Full body, silky, smooth and effervescent mouthfeel with moderate drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional sour. The balance of the malty bourbon and the wine sour and fruity notes work so damn well. This is an example of the way my favorite sours go. Sweet and sours. People that don’t like sours but love strong beers will get a kick out of this one. With so much going, I can see why the Bruery spent the time composing this Cuvee together. Highly Recommended.

Anime Corner:
Aisha Clan Clan from Outlaw Star was used in this pairing since I wanted to use her for a beer review for a while now but especially a Bruery one. The reasoning behind this one was based on the colors of the label but also the aspect of juggling and needing strength to carry these barrels around. Kind of the way they describe it as Juggling Walruses. Aisha also represents the colors and complexity of the beer.

Sources:
http://orig08.deviantart.net/38e6/f/2007/228/a/6/aisha_clan_clan__colors__by_ultranic_comics.jpg
http://img07.deviantart.net/8976/i/2013/248/9/8/aisha_ctarl_ctarl__clan_clan__by_jaldridge1-d6l3y51.jpg

Bourbon Barrel Aged 7 Swans-A-Swimming by The Bruery

February 3, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 7 Swans A Swimming, Abbey Ale Quadrupel, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Belgian Abbey Quadrupel, Belgian Quad, Belgian Quadruple, Bourbon Barrel Aged, brown sugar, christmas beer, dark chocolate, Dulce de leche, Hatsune Miku, Luka Megurine, pecan pie, Raspberries, Swans A Swimming, The Bruery, Twelve Beers of Christmas, Twelve days of Christmas, Twelve Days of Christmas series, vocaloid, WÆS HÆIL | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/6

Bourbon Barrel Aged 7 Swans-A-Swimming by The Bruery is an 11% ABV Belgian Quadruple aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
WÆS HÆIL!

The Seventh Verse of Our Twelve Days of Christmas series of beers showcases the rich, malty character of a Belgian-style Quadrupel. Happy Holidays.

Bourbon Barrel Aged 7 Swans-A-Swimming is suitable for aging up to 5 years (soon after the release of 12 Drummers Drumming) when cellared properly.

==Introduction==

This special release of the 7 Swans-A-Swimming was released to the Reserve and Hoarders Society. Essentially, they release a barrel aged version of their previous year’s Christmas ale and release it in the current year. To get this, you will have to trade or find a place to get it online. Mainly a collectibles page. While the original was awesome, now a barrel aged version sounds like it can take it to the next level. The way stuff goes for my favorite style, the Belgian Dark Strong and Quads but also the way it goes with barrel aged beers, they sure elevate things to the next level. So let’s see if that is true, cheers!

Aromas:
Vanilla, Oak, Bourbon notes, dark fruits like raisins, figs, dates, plums, dark cherries, currants, blueberries, Dulce de leche caramel, marshmallows, anise, molasses, licorice, rock candy, candi sugar, Rhubarb pie, toasted coconut, macaroons, brown sugar, port wine, bananas, clove spice.

Flavors:
Dulce de leche caramel, dark fruits like raisins, figs, dates, plums, dark cherries, currants, blueberries, oak, bourbon, marshmallows, anise, molasses, licorice, rock candy, dark candi sugar, rocky road ice cream, fruit cake, brown sugar, bananas, clove spice, raspberry cobbler, vanilla, all spice, ginger bread cookies, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, pecan pie, Rhubarb ice cream, nutmeg, hazelnut nectar, toasted coconut, macaroons, rye bread, port wine and crème brulee

Aftertaste:
Lots of dark fruit, caramel, spices, dulce de leche, fruit cake, bourbon, oak, pecan pie, hazel nut, marshmallows and coconut hints. No alcohol in the taste, Brown to crimson medium to full body, smooth to silky mouthfeel yet a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Definitely more exceptional than the original. This was expected but after trying it, I knew for sure this was the case. Lots more complex flavors stand out with the aging of the bourbon. More Dark fruit and delicious pecan pie and coconut from the few I had mentioned before. If you do happen to get it, I am sure you will enjoy it. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Hatsune Miku and the Vocaloid Team was used in this pairing as I wanted to do 7 characters but also in the sense of swimming, they definitely are swimming in a sea of chaos as they seem to be on the hunt for something important but also trying to survive and keep their heads afloat. Some dangers present themselves nearby. May not be Christmas like but the purpose of this beer for Christmas is to bring people together and it seems like 7 characters together is just the trick to do it. Together they will survive another day. The flavor complexities of the beer, the colors of the labels and the aspect of staying together like a flock of swans are surely displayed in this pairing.

Sources:
http://img07.deviantart.net/e14c/i/2015/044/4/5/_fanart_evillious_chronicles_by_doblemjwn-d8hsg0d.jpg
http://static.zerochan.net/Vocaloid.full.1881300.jpg

Barrel Aged Neapolitan Milk Stout by Saugatuck brewing

January 21, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barrel Aged Neapolitan Milk Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chocolate, Double Barrel, Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels, Milk Stout, Neapolitan, Rwby, Saugatuck brewing, Strawberries, Sweet Stout, vanilla, Woodford Reserve | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Barrel Aged Neapolitan Milk Stout by Saugatuck brewing is a 6.5% ABV Sweet/Milk Stout brewed with chocolate, vanilla and strawberries double barrel aged in Woodford Reserve and Heaven Hill bourbon barrels.

Commercial desription:
Barrel Aged Neapolitan Milk Stout, a full-bodied milk stout with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry added during brewing……the beer you know and love now aged in a mixture of Woodford Reserve and Heaven Hill Barrels for 9 months.

==Introduction==

A while back my friend Aaron had mentioned something about a Neapolitan ice cream beer that I wanted to try out. I was unable to find it until I checked www.mybeercollectibles.com and saw this one for a very small price. I figured I go for it as I don’t think I would have found it anyways. The idea of a Neapolitan ice cream and beer was mind blowing. It is an idea that makes me want to actually make a recipe like this. Anyway, let’s see what this brew has to offer. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Milk shake, Neapolitan ice cream, cotton candy, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry shake, marshmallows, hazelnut nectar, almond joy, pecans, cookie dough, Danish cream, Glazed and cream filled doughnuts, crème brulee, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, graham crackers, Irish cream coffee, spiced coffee, bananas, clove spice, cinnamon, pecan pie, Double Chocolate fudge cherry cake, flan, three milks/3 leches cake, brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk.

Flavors:
Rich Neapolitan ice cream, crème brulee, cotton candy, raspberries, cherries, coffee cake, steamed milk sweetened condensed milk, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry shake, marshmallows, hazelnut nectar, almond joy, pecans, cookie dough, Danish cream, Glazed and cream filled doughnuts, oak, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, graham crackers, Irish cream coffee, spiced coffee, bananas, clove spice, cinnamon, ginger hints, molasses, anise, Double Chocolate fudge cherry cake, flan, three milks/3 leches cake, dark fruit raisins, currants, and more.

Aftertaste:
Leaves with rich chocolate, milk shake, vanilla, strawberries, dark fruit, mild spicy notes, oak and bourbon hints. No alcohol in the taste. Dark full body, smooth, velvety and creamy mouthfeel with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Like an unbelievable frothy Neapolitan ice cream. Whatever they did to get this beer to be like Neapolitan, they did it. It is literally a liquid ice cream. There’s so much flavor goodness, so much its crazy. This is definitely a must try and worth the money. I think though they should have made this one a 22oz bottle though. Now with that being said, I have to figure out how to make this brew a reality and brew my own recipe. Highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Neapolitan from RWBY was the obvious choice in this pairing. She is technically one of the Antagonists of the series. Her sweet stare is only that, sweet. She along with Cinder are evil. She is kind of the psychotic one. I am not sure what she has to do with the beer in terms of her personality but for characteristics, she is all over this beer, colors, flavors, label and all.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/QfsJfFY.jpg
https://41.media.tumblr.com/8d951887d7d5d68095365932a6497d3f/tumblr_nef85kXQhb1ti0udjo1_500.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/d36f1644c0d226c607a936d2f4025b92/tumblr_nf7dwbfXvk1s5wms6o1_1280.jpg

Flight Of The Angry Beast by Clown Shoes

January 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, Blaecorn Unidragon, Bleach, Clown Shoes Brewing, English Barley Wine, Extremely Angry Beast, Flight of The Angry Beast, Holy water, Neliel, Neliel Tu Oderschvank, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, porcine unidragon, Russian Imperial Stout, Scotch Ale, scotch whiskey, smoked Imperial Stout, Tia Halibel, Tia Harribel, Undead Party Crasher, Vampire Slayer | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Flight Of The Angry Beast by Clown Shoes is a 10.75% ABV American Strong Ale consisting of an Smoked Imperial Stout brewed with Holy water aged in bourbon barrels, a Scotch Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout and an English Style Barley Wine aged in Scotch. Another Cuvee of dreams!

Label:
For the fourth installment in our “Beast” series, Sir Walter Scott has finally tamed the creature, who was about to attack a group of innocent unicorns. To celebrate, we blended 1/3 Undead Party Crasher aged in bourbon barrels, 1/3 Blaecorn Unidragon aged in scotch barrels and 1/3 Billionaire aged in scotch barrels. Hooray!

==Introduction==

Another year, another incarnation of the Unidragon beast. This time, they combined the Imperial and Russian stouts with their English Style Barley wine. Each time I try these beast beers, there is always something different and unique about them. Some brews have been made specifically for certain states and are variants of the Unidragon. While I have had the opportunity to try these one offs, I am glad some really complex beasts still come about every now and again. The flight of the Angry Beast seems so cool so without further ado, let’s see what this one is about. Cheers!

Aromas:
Smoked Peat, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, currants, earthy notes, butterscotch, Scotch bourbon, whiskey bourbon, oak, Bananas, clove spice, sweetened condensed milk, toffee, figgy pudding, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, bakers chocolate, molasses, anise, mint, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconuts, macadamia nuts, pecan pie, doughnuts, oreo cookies and smokey notes.

Flavors:
Scotch bourbon, whiskey bourbon, oak, Bananas, clove spice, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, bakers chocolate, oreo cookies, smokey notes, almond joy chocolate, smoked peat, dark fruit raisins, plums, currants, earthy notes, butterscotch, molasses, mint, anise, rye bread, caramelized sugars, waffle cone, marshmallows, chocolate smores, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconuts, macadamia nuts, pecan pie, doughnuts, cookie dough ice cream, hazel nut nectar, sweetened condensed milk, toffee, figgy pudding, tobacco, leather, tres leche cake, fudge chocolate cake and crème brulee.

Aftertaste:
Good mix of Scotch and Bourbon oak in the finish along with some lingering flavors of banana, dark fruit, chocolate notes, smokey notes, marshmallow, vanilla and caramel. Slight alcohol in the taste but this does not take away from the rich complexity. Dark pitch black body, smooth, velvety and creamy mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
No surprise how every year, the Cuvee of different beers really brings about the really extreme and special of what Clown Shoes has to offer. The velvety flavors and spirits collide with a complex array of deliciousness. There is much that can be said when spirits get together like this and create an exceptional beer that, for me, tends to break the rating scale. Highly Recommended.

Anime Corner:
Tia Harribel, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck and Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach have always represented some aspect of the clown shoes beers in my past reviews. Tia is the Undead Party Crasher/Vampire Slayer. Nelliel has always been the original Unidragon and Yoruichi would be added for good measures since the Porcine Unidragon came out. The blend of each beer together and the unleash of the Extremely Angry beast can be best represented when all three together are looking like bad asses powering up to team up against great foes. The strength and complexity has come together very epically that I could not think of any other pairing artwork that would be the best representative of this beer.

Sources:
http://img01.deviantart.net/2276/i/2010/054/8/1/hot_battle___commission_by_toppera_tpr.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5FJtEATaK3M/VTAYgyGwShI/AAAAAAAABOk/qVd6HEd1Nts/w850-h703/Yoruichi%25252C%252520Halibel%252520%252526%252520Nel.jpg

2015 Dragon’s Milk by New Holland brewing

December 31, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Dragon's Milk, Imperial Milk Stout, Legend of Mana, Milk Stout, New Holland Brewing, Sierra, Sweet Stout | 1 Comment

Rating: 5.5/6

2015 Dragon’s Milk by New Holland brewing is an 11% ABV Imperial Milk/Sweet Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Roasty Malt character intermingled with deep vanilla tones, all dancing in an oak bath. Pairings: red meat, smoked foods, balsamic, rich cheese & dark chocolate.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Dragon’s Milk is a 17th century term used to describe the strong beer usually reserved for royalty. This strong ale was aged in oak for over 120 days. The aging process extracts flavors from the wood, which contribute to its complex character. Hints of bourbon flavor perfectly complement its roasted malts to produce a beer fit for a King.
==Introduction==

Was able to get this beer thanks to my friend Steve from Iowa where typically, in the midwest, is where you find this treasure. It has been a long time since I tried this one and tasting it one again on my trip to Iowa, I was reminded why I loved this beer so much. It is a proxy component of my Sangri-Leche beer and an inspiration recipe for my future homebrew with Dragon fruit, Raspberries, Passion fruit and Red Pickly pear Tuna. New Holland makes some of the greatest beers out there in the midwest and hope one day we see them here in California. The last time I tried the first Dragon’s milk was probably back in 2011-2012 and I still rejoice the day I could try some more. So now that I was able to have it here again, a grand welcome to the treasure which is, Dragon’s Milk! Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich toffee, dulce de leche caramel, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, oak, dark fruit, cherry, raisin hints, fig hints, currants, blackberries, bourbon, vanilla, espresso notes, brown sugar, pecan truffle hints, Danish cookies, molasses, anise, mocha, marshmallows, smores chocolate, toasted rye bread, tobacco, leather and rocky road ice cream.

Flavors:
Rich oak, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, crème brulee, flan, coconut, toffee, marshmallow, mocha, pecan truffle hints, Danish cookies, anise, molasses, mint, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate milk shake, Irish cream, steamed milk, espresso notes, brown sugar, dark fruit, cherry, raisin hints, fig hints, currants, blackberries, fudge chocolate cake, toasted rye bread, tobacco, leather, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolate, chocolate cheese cake, choco flan, milk sugar, pecan pie, cocoa krispies and peanut butter hints.

Aftertaste:
Milk Chocolate, toasty oak, coconut, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruit, rich caramel, earthy notes and marshmallows. No alcohol in the taste, crimson dark full body, smooth, creamy, silky and velvety mouthfeel with a ridiculously easy to drink mouthfeel. A dangerous one especially sold as a 4 pack.

Overall:
Exceptionally phenomenal as always. I do believe the Raspberry version of this beer is a step above it but that is just me. Hence the reason why I am making a home brew off this beer but with more than just raspberries. I want to get to the heart of the dragons! Anyways, this beer is like if you loved everything about those exclusive hard to find bourbon barrel aged stouts, this has a good amount of it and it is made year round. “Plug it into my veins” kind of beer that is really awesome and should sought after.

Anime Corner:
Sierra from the Legend of Mana has returned as she was used in the pairing of the original Dragon’s milk for reasons that she is a Dragoon and well, she has the milk or at least that is what I implied in the original review lol. Seriously though, in the game, she is an important character and one the best in the list of many party members that join in the quest. This complex character in the beer complements the complex character that is Sierra as well.
Sources:
http://cfile6.uf.tistory.com/image/1856F31A4C89A790110937
http://i4.pixiv.net/img06/img/tomoteru/33708327.jpg
http://i4.pixiv.net/img-original/img/2016/03/07/16/39/24/55676023_p0.png

Ukelele by The Buery Terreux

December 5, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, ginger spice, Koriand'r, passion fruit, Raven, sour ale, Star Fire, Teen titans, Thai Chilis, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, tropical fruit, Ukelele | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Ukelele by The Buery Terreux is a 13.5% ABV Tropical Sour Ale brewed with passion fruit, Thai Chilis, and Ginger spice aged in bourbon barrels

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Here’s a beer that will pluck on your heartstrings. Just close your eyes and say aloha to Kauai, where the idea for Ukulele began in the form of a Passion Chili Whiskey Fizz, made with bourbon, passion fruit, Thai chili and ginger ale. Ukulele’s tone and volume intensifies with each sip, dancing on the tongue with massive, tart tropical fruit flavors and ginger spice, crescendoing with the slow-timed release of heat from ghost chili peppers and warmth from bourbon barrel-aging. Ukulele is truly a gift or reward to share with friends.
==Introduction==

Obtained this brew as part of the Reserve Society membership. This brew was released to Reserve and Hoarders members of the Bruery. This brew is the Bruery’s take on a more tropical paradise kind of beer. One aged in bourbon barrels and as many of these beers go then to be pretty awesome. I have no idea how the chili and the tropical fruit will work with this beer but I have a feeling it maybe something like the Mexican chili candies. Let’s see if that is the case. Cheers!

Aromas:
Tamarind, bourbon, honey, piloncillo sugar, oak, bourbon, tropical fruits like pineapple, lychee fruit, honey dew melon, papayas, mangos, dragon fruit, passion fruit, kiwi, dark fruit cherries, raspberries, plums, blackberries, flan, Chili candy, stone fruit peaches, apricots, farmhouse hay, ginger spice and gummy bears.

Flavors:
Tropical fruit papayas, mangos, dragon fruit, passion fruit, kiwi, rich pineapple, honey dew melon, lychee fruit, caramel, vanilla, bourbon, oak, jalapeño pepper, ancho, marshmallows, coconut, ginger spice, fruit cake, tamarind, tejuino, tajin chili, dark fruit cherries, raspberries, plums, blackberries, Tejuino, oranges, tangerines, stone fruit peaches, apricots, farmhouse hay, Mexican mango or water melon chili candy, flan, cinnamon, ginger bread, rye bread, toffee, gummy bears, grilled bananas, brown sugar, honey, and pilloncillo sugar cone hints.

Aftertaste:
Mild heat lingers (for the chili experienced), lots of tropical goodness, Mexican Mango candy, dark fruits, stone fruits, oak bourbon, and coconut linger. No alcohol in the taste, golden amber full body, sweet, crisp, smooth and refreshing mouthfeel, oh yeah and did I mention how ridiculously easy it is to drink this? It is dangerous!!

Overall:
One of the more exceptional sours I have ever had. It reminded me of Mexican Mango candy. This tropical sour gave me goosebumps because the flavors were tangy tropical but also spicy. There was so much going on and really kept me active and drinking. I can tell this one is spicy but for those that may not have a chili tolerance, get ready. Either way, the sweetness of his beer really plays well with the spicy aspect and the focus of tropical and spicy with the complex bourbon action is what you really get while the alcoholic strength is still small but present overall. I highly recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Starfire/Koriand’r from Teen Titans was the perfect pairing for this beer. She is so damn sweet and very innocent always open minded and caring but yet if you make her mad she has the strength and power to demolish cities! Yes, this is exactly how this beer feels. The flavor of sweetness and the heat since Starfire is ridiculous and smokingly hot explains the dominant aspects of the beer while the ABV or her demolishing power and strength take the way side mainly because you just can’t taste the alcohol. I really enjoyed this one wayyy too much. Now I have to some how get more bottles but I missed out as I only got one. If you want to try this one, head to the Bruery before it is gone this month (November 2015) or find a way to trade for it. I highly recommend it!

Sources:
http://orig08.deviantart.net/831a/f/2014/055/d/a/starfire__render__by_dafneyaneth-d77x87d.png
https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/d6dfb-shunyayamashitastarfirekotobukiya.jpg
http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/757/612/9a5.png

My Black Parade (Mi Desfile Negro) by The Lost Abbey brewing (Dia De Los Muertos Review)

November 1, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, Angel Share, Bourbon Barrel Aged, cardamom, Chiles, chocolate abuelita, Cinnamon, cocoa nibs, Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, Kill-LA-Kill, Mi Desfile Negro, My Black Parade, Rich Chocolate Abuelita, Ryuko Matoi, The Lost Abbey, vanilla beans | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

My Black Parade (Mi Desfile Negro) by The Lost Abbey brewing is a 12.5% ABV American Strong ale brewed with Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla Beans, Chilies, Cardamom and Cinnamon aged in Bourbon Oak barrels.

Label:
No one knew her actual name, Though to most she was simply Madame Marigold-Princess of The Black Parade. Each November 1st she led a procession through the town square to a makeshift altar at an unmarked grave.

Year after year, the processions grew larger and the celebrations more elaborate. Patiently she waited for him always. Yet, he never arrived.

Then one year, she too was gone. Her legacy endures as The Black Parade marches on despite her absence. Each fall, the entire village celebrates the lives of all the departed including Madame Marigold and her anonymous lover.
==Introduction==

Hoy es dia de los muertos (Today is day of the dead) and we celebrate the departed loved ones from friends to family. A time in Mexican culture many come together
Producing only 60 cases, this beer is essentially Bourbon Barrel Angel Share with delicious Mexican spices and ingredients mimicking dessert drinks like Mexican Hot chocolate. This beer was released by the Lost Abbey to be purchased and obtained at their location. Which meant only one thing, road trip! I had to basically go on a long journey to visit one of my favorite breweries for a second time to get this. That and also, make it through the small time frame to purchase it. If you would like to get your hands on this Dia de los Muertos beauty, you will have to trade for it or try to find it online. Will it actually be worth the time spent driving or your time and money? Well, let’s take a look at this cerveza muerta. Salud!

Aromas:
Port wine notes, cajeta envinada/ wine goat’s milk caramel, Chocolate abuelita, milk chocolate, Oak, Bourbon, vanilla, marshmallows, cinnamon, cardamom, oak, champurrado, Bourbon, vanilla, rich toasted coconut, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, currants, Danish cream, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, fruit cake hints, spicy chile hintslike ancho and guajillo, banana, brown sugar hints and champurrado.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, milk chocolate, Oak, Bourbon, vanilla, rich toasted coconut, flan, sweetened condensed milk hints, jericalla Mexican custard, marshmallows, cinnamon, cardamom, champurrado, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, currants, black berries, slight hints of spicy chiles like ancho and guajillo, dulce de leche caramel, cajeta envinada/ wine goat’s milk caramel, port wine, mezcal, Khalua liquor, Danish cream, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, fruit cake hints, molasses, anise, candy sugar, banana hints, champurrado, capirotada raisin bread pudding, earthy notes and three milks/ tres leches cake.

Aftertaste:
Mild chile spices linger after, Chocolate Abuelita, oak, bourbon, vanilla, flan, marshmallows, toasted coconut, port wine, earthy notes, dark fruit, danish cream and spicy notes. Slight booziness in the after taste but not detracting from the flavors. Pitch black and crimson full body, creamy, smooth, velvety and buttery mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional perfection no less but before I put it in the utmost bucket list, I think it needs a whole year, 2 or even 4 years to age to perfection. This reminded me so much of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord De Muerte. The chilies do linger a bit but are mainly covered by the sweetness of it all. The Lost Abbey’s attempt at it certainly brings about the Belgian as well the deliciousness that is found in some Mexican traditional hot drinks like Chocolate Abuelita. Would it be worth seeking out? Ahuevo! (Fuck Yeah!) especially if you like Bourbon Barrel aged beers with a slight Belgian inspiration.

Anime Corner:
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill and original bride character were used in this pairing to pair with la novia muerta de la boda del desfile negro (The dead bride of the wedding for the black parade). The colors she has as well as her wedding dress pairs well with the label and the colors. The aspect of death and the story of where the bride waits for her beloved to return is represented as the original character holds up the head of her beloved. Pretty tragic love story like that of El Muelle de San Blas by Mana. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teprNzF6J1I) For Ryuko though, I would say her loss of Senketsu would be something similar in the story of this beer. However, she is truly not alone as she always has Senketsu with her, she has her family and friends ( and #1 fan here 😀 ) so yeah she is awesome. That is what Dia de los Muertos is all about, togetherness.

Sources:
http://cciup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/43487375.jpg
http://g03.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Y_IuIFXXXXbfXpXXq6xXFXXXS/The-most-gorgeous-animation-wonderful-poster-font-b-Gothic-b-font-fantasy-girl-red-style-4.jpg

Black Butte XXVII (27th Anniversary Reserve) by Deschutes Brewery

September 30, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged 27th Anniversary, 27th Anniversary Reserve, aged in Bourbon Barrels, apricot puree, Black Butte, black butte porter, Black Butte XXVII, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, cocoa nibs, Deschutes Brewery, Legend of Zelda, Midna, Pomegranate Molasses, Pomegranates, Rose, Rose Water, tart apricots, Theo's cocoa nibs, Twili Midna, Twilight Princess | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Black Butte XXVII (27th Anniversary Reserve) by Deschutes Brewery is 11.6% ABV Imperial Porter brewed with Rose water with 50% aged in bourbon barrels blended with ale with apricot puree, cocoa nibs, pomegranate molasses and spices.

Label:
Our 27th Anniversary Imperial Porter was brewed with Theo Chocolate’s cocoa nibs, pomegranate molasses and select spices, blended with apricot puree, and then aged in bourbon barrels. The result is a truly exquisite ale with bold chocolate character, inspired flavors of fruit, and just a pinch of spice. The perfect way for us to celebrate our golden birthday with you!.

==Introduction==

Each year they release this beer, they always use different ingredients. I have been fortunate enough to be able to try the beers since the 24th version all the way to 26th and now the 27th. Since I loved the previous years versions, I can only imagine this years version will be insane. Then again, is there any surprise. Actually yes, It is NOT the SAME BEER! I definitely forget to get 2 every time but this year I will want to get more! Since each year has different ingredients, you want to try them all as one amazing and every year getting better! Nuff said, Review, I coming!

Aromas:
Super dark chocolate goodness, milk chocolate goodness, almond joy, marshmallow, rich dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, currants, blackberries, cherries, marshmallows, chocolate and rye bread with strawberry and raspberry jam, almond butter, wrapped in tin foil over a campfire, brown sugar on top then being dipped in a chocolate mouse and then a sweetened condescended milk and flan cream.

Flavors:
Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, chocolate covered tart apricots, chocolate covered pomegranates, chocolate covered bananas, roasted malts, coffee, chocolate mousse, bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, cherries, currants, blackberries, pecan pie, walnuts, clove spice, bubble gum hints, licorice, anise, molasses, tobacco, leather, rye bread, almond joy, marshmallows, smokey campfire hints, flan, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee, chocolate cherry fudge cake, dragon fruit, passion fruit, lavender, sakura cake, rose hints, maple bar, brown sugar, piloncillo sugar cone, abuelita chocolate hints, strawberry preserves on rye bread and Danish cream.

Aftertaste:
Dark fruits, stone fruits, earthy notes, Dark chocolate, pecan pie, tobacco, oak, marshmallows, floral tartness, caramel, vanilla and tobacco hints. No alcohol in the taste, Pitch Black Midnight Full body, silky, velvety and smooth mouthfeel and a super easy drinkability which is dangerous. Just like each year, its smoothness will make you want to drink the whole bottle in one sitting.

Overall:
No surprise here, Exceptional to the max! Every year, this beer really surprises me. It gets better but in different aspects since they try different flavors and ingredients and it is never the same beer every year but an evolved version of the previous or something altogether different. There is no doubt, with the great amount of this beer for many to try, it should be a pick up for sure for many that love dark barrel aged beers.

Anime Corner:
Midna (Both Forms) from The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princes was chosen once again this year for the Black Butte release as well as the other releases. Just like last years,I had chosen her in the previous releases since I wanted to represent the mixing of 2 of the same ale together. One being the the bourbon barrel aged Rose Water (Twili Midna on the right) and the cocoa nibs, apricot puree (The dimensions of flavor in the background) and pomegranate molasses (Midna on the left). They are both the same person and both are kick ass but that was obvious from the fact that I use them for the same beer every year. The pomegranate and Rose color can be see by the crimson in their beautiful eyes, staring seductively at each other apparently but also nurturing mainly (like mother and child) (sweet and tart) and the land of pleasure is now a portal in the background to that dimension of flavor. Don’t be fooled though, take your time with this both versions of Midna. They can be misleading and evil but only if you let them be.

Sources:
http://img05.deviantart.net/f2f6/i/2014/177/d/3/midna_s_hug_by_yuqoi-d7o1hls.png

Ride That Goat (AKA Bokkenrijder) by The Bruery

September 30, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Astaroth, Astarotto, Bock, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Ride That Goat, shinra, Shinra Bansho, Shinra Banshou, The Bruery, Weizenbock | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Ride That Goat (AKA Bokkenrijder) by The Bruery is a 13.8% ABV Imperial Weizenbock aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Let’s Ride!

Our version of a weizenbock starts with traditional bread, malty, and spicy flavor. Bourbon barrel-aging adds layers of vanilla and coconut.

Ride That Goat is oour spin on the classic, hearty, German wheat beer. Brewed to be bold and aged in our barrel cellar, this is a rich variation on a stellar beer style. Believe us when we say, once you Ride That Goat, you’ll never go bock.

==Introduction==

Released for Reserve society members in very small quantities Essentially, I do believe this is their Shegöat but aged in bourbon barrels. First time trying a Weizenbock that is barrel aged in bourbon. Leave it to the Bruery to make stuff like this come true. I have tried a barrel aged bock before from Schmaltz. However, knowing the Bruery’s take on bourbon barrel beer, I can only imagine this is going to be one of those beers that take stuff to another level. Let us see how true expectations really are. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Grilled Bananas with caramel dulce de leche de cabra, flan, wine notes, dark fruit raisins, plums, cherries, figs, dates,vanilla, coconut, marshmallows, almond joy chocolate, plantains, clove spice, bubble gum, banana chocolate cake, almonds, tapioca hints, Danish Cream pastry, rock candy, candy sugar, anise, rye bread, chocolate smores, cinnamon, honey and pilloncillo sugar cone.

Flavors:
Dulce de leche de Cabra Envinado (Goats Milk caramel in wine), flan, burnt sugar, crème brulee, grilled bananas, plantains, clove spice, bubble gum, vanilla, coconut, marshmallows, almond joy chocolate, dark fruit raisins, plums, cherries, figs, dates, rock candy, candy sugar, anise, rye bread, chocolate smores, cinnamon, honey, raisin bread pudding, piloncillo, citrus, coriander, toasted oak, apricot, peaches, cocada coconut candy, rocky road ice cream, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, hints of milk chocolate, marzipan, cherry and banana chocolate cake, almonds, tapioca hints and Danish Cream pastry.

Aftertaste:
Lingering flavors of caramel, banana, dark fruits, bourbon, marshmallows, coconut, earthy notes, spicy cinnamon and cloves. Slight boozyness in the taste but not really detracting from any of the rich flavors, dark crimson medium to full body, silky, creamy, smooth and velvety mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Exceeding my expectations and is now my favorite Weizenbock in the world. In a way, this beer is like taking one of their other styles, the German Dunkelweizens but taking it to a whole new level of intensity and richness that I do not think many German beers get to go to. The Bruery’s magic with using bourbon barrels proves how refined in their craft they are and this beer is no exception to that rule. This beer, I must say, was very enjoyable and I highly recommend it. Keep making the magic happen Patrick Rue, Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Astaroth from ShinraBansho was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair the colors but also the theme of Goat being represented as a horned creature. The other deal is that since the name of the beer is Bokkenrijder as well, this goes with the whole folklore of Ghosts or Demons riding a goat provided by Satan himself. In this case, Astaroth being a favorite demon girl, she fit the bill of the goat or even the goat rider. Why else does this pair with the name? Well, if it is not obvious by some of the picture, it is pretty much innuendos. Ride that Demon girl! She is strong overall represented by her strength as a Hell Army General but her sexiness comes as part of the sweet and super complex flavors of the beer.

Sources:
http://safebooru.org/images/1304/41fb394a39b755dfa830e355c81113958cd5e9f1.jpg
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm44/laminterious/furry/xfkgnt1yb3.jpg
http://k32.kn3.net/taringa/7/1/3/2/9/9/1/tensahollow/E12.jpg

Endless Nameless by Cigar City

September 17, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Belgian Chocolate, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged, chocolate cake, cigar city, Cigar City Brewing, creme brulee, dulce de leche caramel, Endless Nameless, Heaven Hill, Imperial Stout, Kill-LA-Kill, Kurt Cobain, Nevermind, Nirvana, Ryuko Matoi, Ryuoko Matoi, The Bruery, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Endless Nameless by Cigar City is a ??% ABV Imperial Stout Aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
endless.
nameless.
imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels.

==Introduction==

A name used from a hidden track off of Nirvana’s album, Nevermind. Cigar city brings this very big whale of a beer off the depths of the Grunge Rock abyss. Simply put, the Nirvana tribute beer, this beer was released as part of the El Catador reserve release. Only those in that association would be allowed to get this one. I was able to snag this bottle as soon as I saw it on www.mybeercollectibles.com. Needless to say, that sit can be super pricey but luckily I got this at a decent price. I really got it since I wanted to bring it forth to the website and see how it is. Now, on with the show.

Aromas:
Smells like Beer Spirit, or its dark soul. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German & Belgian chocolate, bakers chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, Mexican 3 leches/Three Milks cake, flan, Dulce De Leche Caramel, Vanilla, Rich Bourbon, oak, marshmallows, grahama cracker smores, molasses, bananas, crème brulee, dark raisins, dark cherries, plums, mocha coffee, Kahlua, Irish cream, agave syrup, candi sugar, rock candy, pecan pie, leather, tobacco, brown sugar and hazelnut nectar.

Flavors:
Rich Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Bananas, Flan, Vanilla, Bourbon, oak, Dulce De Leche Caramel, Mexican sweetened condensed milk, Mexican 3 leches/Three Milks cake, molasses, hazelnut nectar, tobacco, leather, rye, maple syrup, dark cherries, currants, plums, blueberries, raspberries, dark cherries, coconut pie, mocha, crème brulee, toffee, brown sugar, cotton candy, choco flan, candi sugar, rocky road icecream, almond joy, Kahlua, Irish cream, agave syrup, Yoohoo Chocolate Milk Shake, Chocolate cake and chocolate cheese cake.

Aftertaste:
Long lingering dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, flan, crème brulee, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, hazelnut, dark cherries, marshmallow, pecan pie, coconut pie, bananas, bourbon notes and chocolate cake. Slight booziness but super subtle to keep stuff balanced and not detract from the flavors, beyond the endless and nameless darkness of the abyss body, smooth and sipping drinkability, silky, velvety and syrupy mouth feel.

Overall:
Essentially, this is the Black Tuesday of Cigar City and the East Coast. So many reminiscent flavors of Black Tuesday but leaning more toward milk candies and desserts. Either way, this is ridiculously balanced with the amount of complexity and alcohol. This is definitely a world class beer and a must get to add to your collection of super whales. A Nirvana whale is one beast of a while to collect for a special occasion.

Anime Corner:
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill (one of my top 4 anime girls) was used in this pairing to pair mainly with the name of the song and the meaning behind it as well as the darkness the beer represents. In the series, Ryuko had to deal with turmoil and darkness. This beer represents that very chaos and attitude in her heart when stuff was not going well in her life during the sad parts of the show. She pulled through ofcourse! She didn’t lose her way! Just like the frustration Kurt Cobain felt as they said fuck it when recording Lithium! And created the song. The beer is dark as the endless abyss with no name.

Sources:
http://static.tumblr.com/3a0b53c0f68bfa5cdf6c584209ffd8f7/9dd108p/eSmn9wfk0/tumblr_static_cq0y11ev48owsg4ksow8okscc.jpg

Rexx by Clown Shoes brewing

September 2, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barrel Aged Red, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, clown shoes, Clown Shoes Brewing, Four Roses Bourbon, Four Roses Bourbon Barrels, Heaven Hill, Imperial Amber Ale, Imperial Red Ale, passion fruit, Ranma, Ranma 1/2, Rexx | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.65/6

Rexx by Clown Shoes brewing is a 12% ABV Imperial Amber/Red Ale aged in Heaven Hill and Four Roses Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
We like dinosaurs. We especially like Rexx, our prehistoric pal who wears clown shoes, drinks bourbon, and spends his doomed days in exile from the other Tyrannosauruses, choosing to romp with friendlier beasts. Rexx, we dedicate this Imperial Red Ale aged in Heaven Hill and Four Roses bourbon barrels to you buddy.

==Introduction==

Clown Shoes releases another awesome Barrel aged beer. This time, Bourbon Barrel aged red. Granted, the last time a Barrel Aged Red was from Anderson Valley which was pretty good for the low ABV. Now we are dealing with a heavy hitter at 12% ABV. A style that is aged in any type of spirit is always welcome to the site. Especially Clown Shoes stuff which has been for the majority of the time, exceptionally great, just like the Blaecorn Unidragon series and its Beast Variants and more! Now let’s take a trip to the ancient past, to the time of the dinosaurs and study this, Amber Nectar. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich bananas, caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, whiskey, toasted coconut, marshmallows, dark fruit raisins, cherry notes, Rye bread, flowery rose hints, lavender, hibiscus, earthy, citrusy and grapefruit hints, toffee, pecan pie, almond joy chocolate, milk chocolate, rocky road ice cream notes, hazelnut, very mild tropical fruit like prickly pear, passion fruit, papaya and mango notes.

Flavors:
Rich Rye, whiskey, bourbon, floral notes of hibiscus, lavender, rose petals, toffee, rich caramel, plantains, rich bananas, marshmallows, toasted coconut, earthy, citrucy, piney hops, rich grapefuits, pecan pie, almond joy chocolate, milk chocolate, rocky road ice cream notes, caramel, vanilla, oak, tropical fruit like prickly pear, passion fruit, mango notes, dragon fruit, sweetened condensed milk, flan, dark fruit raisins, cherries, cinnamon spice, brown sugar and hazelnut nectar.

Aftertaste:
Rye, earthy notes, grapefruit hops, lots of whiskey, vanilla, toasted coconut, caramel, marshmallows and banana notes are left in the taste. Slight booziness in the taste, crimson full body, smooth, creamy, velvety, mouthfeel, sipping drinkability

Overall:
An exceptionally bourbony, whiskey rye flavored Amber ale. The last time I tried a bourbon barrel amber ale was long ago. Come to think about it, this reminded me of the Bourbon Barrel aged Bock but this is a red so the flavorful hops do come out to play as well. It almost borderlines a certain Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels. The only thing to pick at is the boozeyness. I think with time this one will mature into something incredible. I still highly recommend it as is. Clown Shoes barrel aged beers have been extremely awesome!

Anime Corner:
Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½ was used in this paring to pair with the style of the beer (A Red Ale) but also to pair with the beers sweet flavors and rich complexity which are complemented by Ranma’s sweet and sexy appearance. She is pretty sweet in general but she is also a dangerous martial artists. You see, being the protagonist of the show, Ranma has shown immense strength and power which goes well with the ABV of the beer. Although Ranma can be hot headed at times, she means well which goes with the booziness of the beer. Give her sometime, she will age just right and be good to you. As for th T-Rex in the label, her colors complement it too but like I said before, this T-Rex can be hot headed just like Ranma. Give the T-Rex a beer, calms right down, just like Ranma!

Sources:
http://static.skynetblogs.be/media/37519/ranma5.jpg